An interview with .DESI COO Siddharth Ohri

.DESI is about to explode the Internet with mind-blowing epic-ness by providing a new cultural digital community for the large number of Web users who call the Indian Sub-Continent home (or “home,” if they’re away from home). That’s right. This New Domain will explode the Internet with connectedness. Like an exploding magnet that both explodes out and draws in at the same time.

So maybe we’ve lost control of this metaphor, and maybe we haven’t, but the fact remains: There are 1.25 billion people living in India, representing 17 percent of the world’s population. Outside of the Indian Sub-Continent, there are an estimated 20 million more living in large diaspora in Britian, Canada, the United States, South Africa, and Tanzania.

That’s actually two facts. Two facts that illustrate the huge demand for .DESI, which provides a virtual network and cultural community for desis , no matter where they live or work.

Siddharth Ohri, COO and founder of .DESI, took some time to talk about what desi means, what .DESI does for the desi community, and he explained why this cultural New Domain is really for everybody.

Name.com: For anybody who might not know, what does “desi” mean?

Ohri: “Desi” has many meanings. It can mean cool, powerful, or hip. Most often the term is used to refer to people, culture, and products. It’s really an association to anything originating from the Indian Sub-Continent. These days desi is everywhere, too. There are desi people, desi businesses, and desi foods in most communities. Recently, desi fashion, and desi music has become mainstream and is showing up in more and more places .

Why is .DESI important? Who is this domain connecting?

Simply put, “.desi” addresses a real need in the community. It’s the world’s first domain which focuses on connecting individuals and businesses to desis worldwide. To this point, there hasn’t been a clear way to identify desi services and brands on a global level. With .desi, billions of desis are able to find what’s important to them and be found.

Other than providing a digital namespace, how else does .DESI help to strengthen the global Desi community?

We see it as a celebration of all things desi. There is a very strong emotional connection to the term desi that immediately gets attention. We have been saying that .desi is the only domain that makes over a billion heads turn when mentioned.

Desis are very proud and have accomplished a lot across multiple societies and cultures. However, despite how integrated they’ve become there is always a deep desire to stay close to their roots. A .desi domain gives that closeness and allows those who choose to get one the ability to make a very meaningful statement. For that reason, .desi is more than just an address, it’s creating an identity.

Who are .DESI domains for?

Within the diaspora it is for the desi student; for the desi business (grocery store, desi fashion store, etc.) catering to desis; it is for the young proud desi professionals. In the sub-continent it is for the SMB looking for a brand that resonates with their customers; it is for the 12-18 year kids coming of age and embracing their desiness; it is for the proud desis in India that have had a ride on the tide of economic growth.

And it is really for any one wants to connect to desi’s worldwide. It is NOT JUST for someone who has desi heritage (diaspora or subcontinent); anyone who has an affinity to desi values, culture, fashion, lifestyle, sports

What are you most looking forward to as .DESI launches?

We are looking forward to seeing the power the domain has to connect desis globally, as well as the impact it will have for businesses worldwide. It is going to open up a whole new market for businesses. It’s a vehicle to create a community. A community recognized by billions of desis worldwide.  The reach is unlimited and it’s going to be a lot of fun to watch.

Grab your .DESI domain right now!