Abstract

The caselet on Just Dial elucidates the business model of a matching platform, one that matches the users on one side (consumers) with those on the other side (local, small and medium businesses). The case elaborates on the business model, and elucidates the evolution of Just Dial’s business from a simple local search platform, to a search & transact platform. The case ends with questions on the sustainability of the business model and the extension to product ecommerce. Key issues for discussion using this caselet in conjunction with the BharatMatrimony.com case and the Practo caselet include sustainability of matching platform business models and identification of the specific industry conditions where such business models could be extended (and where it could not be).

Learning Objective

This caselet is intended to be used in the IIMB courses on Strategies for Platform-Mediated Networks (SPMN), in conjunction with the BharatMatrimony.com case and Practo caselet. Just Dial is an info-mediation platform that provides for individual customers to discover (much similar to an online Yellow Pages directory), and transact with local, small, and medium enterprises. 

1. To introduce three different types of platforms – matching platforms, transaction platforms, and info-mediation platforms.
2. To highlight the key characteristics of matching platform business models, and which contexts could one extend to build similar matching platform business models (and where one could not).