Mumbai | March 20, 2025 — In the age of one-click convenience and digital transformation, V.S.S. Mani stands as a pioneer who foresaw India’s local commerce revolution years before the internet reached the masses. As the founder and CEO of Justdial, Mani not only built a scalable business directory service but also created one of the country’s most enduring tech companies in the search and discovery space.

Early Roots of a Resilient Entrepreneur

VSS Mani’s entrepreneurial instincts were evident from his early professional years. Back in the 1980s, long before India’s internet boom, Mani co-founded AskMe, a telephone-based business directory service. Although the venture ultimately failed due to operational constraints and market immaturity, it laid the groundwork for his next big idea—an accessible, hyperlocal information service tailored to the average Indian consumer.

Mani’s response to that failure was neither retreat nor reinvention—it was refinement. In 1996, he launched Justdial in Mumbai, reviving the telephone-based model but with a sharper focus on scalability, user experience, and regional relevance.

From Phone Lines to Smartphones: The Justdial Transformation

What began as a phone-in service that connected users to plumbers, caterers, doctors, and restaurants through a central call center, soon grew into a digital-first platform that rode the wave of India’s internet adoption.

Key developments in Justdial’s growth include:

• 2007: Launch of the official Justdial website, opening up searchable access to millions of listings.
• 2010s: Introduction of a feature-rich mobile app, voice search capabilities, and customer reviews, setting the foundation for hyperlocal discovery.
• 2013: Justdial went public with an IPO, one of the first Indian tech companies in the B2C domain to list on stock exchanges, a move that significantly boosted its capital base and credibility.

With its database spanning thousands of Indian cities, Justdial became synonymous with trusted local discovery, bridging the information gap for both urban and semi-urban consumers.

Innovation Amidst Competition

The rise of digital disruptors like Google Search, Zomato, UrbanClap (now Urban Company), and IndiaMART posed a major threat to Justdial’s dominance. Yet, Mani responded not with defense but with innovation.

He led the launch of:

• JD Omni: A cloud-based software for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to manage billing, inventory, and customer relationships.
• JD Pay: A native payments platform integrated into the Justdial ecosystem to support cashless transactions.
• B2B Listings and Lead Gen Tools: To help businesses find suppliers and partners within the Justdial ecosystem.

These product extensions enabled the company to transition from being a consumer search engine to a full-stack commerce enabler.

Strategic Backing from Reliance

In a defining corporate development, Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd., a subsidiary of Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries, acquired a majority stake in Justdial in July 2021. The ₹3,497 crore deal aligned with Reliance’s broader strategy to consolidate its position in India’s retail and digital commerce space.

Post-acquisition, Justdial gained access to Reliance’s expansive digital infrastructure, significantly enhancing its ability to scale, implement AI-driven product upgrades, and bring a broader base of Indian businesses online.

Vision for the Future

At 58, VSS Mani remains actively involved in Justdial’s operations. His future vision includes:

• AI-Powered Local Search Engines tailored to consumer behavior.
• Deeper penetration into Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, leveraging India’s expanding internet base.
• Hyperlocal services including bookings, real-time pricing, and last-mile connectivity.

With over 30 million listings and 130 million unique quarterly users, Justdial continues to be a staple in India’s digital ecosystem.

Legacy and Impact

Mani’s entrepreneurial story is more than just business success—it’s a case study in market foresight, technological adoption, and executional resilience. He created a platform before the market even existed, navigated the dotcom bust, the mobile revolution, and a global pandemic, all while keeping his product accessible to the common man.

Under his leadership, Justdial didn’t just adapt—it led.

Conclusion

VSS Mani’s journey from the early days of AskMe to building Justdial into India’s largest local search platform is a lesson in grit, vision, and smart execution. In an era where startups often chase rapid valuation, Mani’s methodical approach to solving real consumer problems has built a business that not only survives but thrives—through technological shifts, fierce competition, and changing consumer expectations.

As India’s digital infrastructure continues to mature, Justdial is well-poised to remain a cornerstone of hyperlocal discovery and services, carrying forward Mani’s legacy of inclusive digital innovation.