Ravi Narala, Muraleedhara Navada, Chandra Thimmanagari, Vid Teq: Roadmap to Success

“VidTeq” (India) Pvt Ltd is a technology startup focusing on Video maps. They provide a unique and innovative navigation concept based on visual depiction of the Traditional Map. A Video map is a feature rich next generation navigation aid built on traditional digital map with rich visual content. Which in simple language means “A Video Map is a visual clip of the complete route between source and destination with features like business logos, road names, turn-by-turn directions, background music and audio overlays, all embedded in it.” A Video map is built of individual geo-tagged video segments that are user friendly and very handy to use.  

This idea to guide the directionally challenged is the brainchild of Ravi Narala, Muraleedhara Navada, and Chandra Thimmanagari, Yourstory caught up with Muraleedhara Navada for a few insights on how it all came together. Muraleedhara says “VidTeq is currently used in Bangalore but will soon be providing location and direction services to general web surfers.” In a couple of month they are planning to provide driving directions through cell phones. Currently all the services are free, and they are planning to generate revenue out of regular advertisements and value added services. This makes using the technology a pretty good deal for those of us who get lost regularly in big confusing cities. . Currently they provide Video Maps for Bangalore City, and are planning to expand to others as well.

Any body and everybody needing directions in Bangalore city can use it. Business search websites like “Just dial” and “GetIt” can locate their businesses in Bangalore at “VidTeq”. Now this concept might sound clichéd to the unbeliever but it is not. Video Maps are the difference makers at “VidTeq”. They provide driving directions based on Video Maps which are the first of their kind when it comes to Cartography. As for funding Web advertising is the primary source of revenue. They also have cell phone based SMS directional facility with a value added service using WAP in the works. This is not your typical GPRS any which way we look at it.

So when does “VidTeq” plan to provide services in other cities? Muraleedhara answers “We are on the verge of commercializing the service in Bangalore city. We will scale up our geo-navigational service by catering for all web location requirements. We are also targeting requirements such as brand retail shop chains, ATM networks, “Just dial” address location, Store locators etc.

With the help of VC funding we are planning to extend our service to other metropolitan cities in India.” With this in mind all of us can breathe a sigh of relief, because it going to be very difficult to get lost very soon, thanks to “VidTeq”.

When it came to Initial Funding and getting their dreams off the ground the trio did what came naturally. Viewing Entrepreneurship as a challenge the trio at “VidTeq” raised a whooping initial investment of 1.1 Crores for the Video Maps of Bangalore City. Currently they have three divisions in the company consisting of 15 employees equally divided between Map making, Video editing and Software development. They regard the launch of the Video Maps and the revelation of the concept of Video maps as the biggest milestone to date for “VidTeq”.

“VidTeq” has already charted out a map for themselves and plans to lead in the field of Video Maps by 2010.With their sights firmly set on conquering their field its easy to see how motivated they are at “VidTeq”.

As a parting shot Yourstory asked Muraleedhara for his take on the map to Success, to which he replied “Just go for it. Have patience.”With these words of encouragement Yourstory hopes to find “VidTeq” in every Indian City very soon helping the clueless find their destinations.