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VMPL
New Delhi [India], August 31: Professional networking platforms have made it easier than ever to find the right person. Getting that person to actually respond, however, remains a challenge. New platform founded by IIT Madras and IIM Ahmedabad alumnus Ranjith Parasuraman introduces paid messaging, verified profiles, and reply incentives for professional networking. BharatPing (https://bharatping.com), a new India-focused professional networking platform, is attempting to solve that problem with a simple idea: put a small monetary value on professional attention and reward people for responding. Created by Ranjith Parasuraman, an IIT Madras and IIM Ahmedabad graduate and YouTuber, BharatPing is initially being built as a professional network for alumni of some of India's leading institutions, including the IITs, IIMs and NITs. Unlike conventional professional networking platforms where users can send large numbers of messages or connection requests for free, BharatPing requires a sender to pay an upfront fee to contact another professional. Messages can be sent for as little as 25. What makes the model unusual is that when the recipient replies, the recipient receives a portion of the messaging fee. The idea is to create an incentive for people to pay attention to genuine professional outreach while simultaneously discouraging spam and mass messaging. Turning Professional Attention Into Something Valuable One of the biggest frustrations with online networking is that highly sought-after professionals often receive far more messages than they can realistically answer. Messages seeking career advice, introductions, mentorship, business discussions or industry insights can easily get buried in crowded inboxes. BharatPing is designed around the belief that the problem is not necessarily a lack of willingness to help, but a lack of incentive to prioritise messages from strangers. By attaching a small payment to a message, BharatPing introduces a signal of intent. A person paying 25, 50 or more to contact someone is likely to think more carefully about what they want to ask. At the same time, the recipient has an additional reason to open the message and respond. Rather than charging purely for access, BharatPing shares part of that value with the person whose time and attention the sender is seeking. Pay Once, Then Talk Freely for Three Days BharatPing's model is not intended to charge users for every individual message in a conversation. The sender pays to initiate contact. Once the recipient replies, both people can continue the conversation for three days without paying any additional messaging fee. This makes the initial payment less like a per-message charge and more like a way of opening a temporary professional conversation. The three-day window can be used for discussions ranging from career guidance and mentorship to startup advice, recruiting, partnerships, industry research and professional introductions. A Network Built Around Verified Identities Trust is another problem BharatPing wants to address. Fake profiles, impersonation and inaccurate professional identities can reduce confidence in online networking platforms, particularly when money or important career decisions are involved. BharatPing plans to verify users through Aadhaar using DigiLocker-based verification, with the aim of ensuring that accounts on the platform belong to real individuals. For users, this means networking in an environment designed around verified identities rather than anonymous or fabricated profiles. The platform is also focused specifically on professional communities such as IIT, IIM and NIT alumni, creating a more targeted environment than broad social networks. Rethinking the Cold Message For years, professional networking has largely followed the same model: find someone, send a connection request or cold message, and hope they respond. The result is an imbalance. Sending a message costs almost nothing, while reading and answering hundreds of incoming messages can consume significant time. BharatPing flips that equation. Senders make a small financial commitment before contacting someone. Recipients, in turn, can earn from engaging with people who value their time. For professionals with valuable experience or expertise, BharatPing could therefore turn something they already do--answering thoughtful questions from other professionals--into a small additional source of income. For senders, the potential benefit is more straightforward: a better chance of getting a response from someone they genuinely want to speak with. Built for the Indian Professional Network BharatPing is being developed specifically for India rather than as a generic global networking product. Founder Ranjith Parasuraman brings experience from two of India's best-known educational institutions, having graduated from IIT Madras and IIM Ahmedabad, alongside his experience creating content as a YouTuber. The platform's initial emphasis on IIT, IIM and NIT alumni reflects its strategy of building a high-trust professional network starting with identifiable communities before expanding further. At prices starting at just 25 per message, BharatPing is also attempting to keep professional access affordable rather than positioning conversations as expensive consulting sessions. Can Paid Messaging Fix Professional Networking? BharatPing is based on a different assumption about networking: people's attention has value. Instead of pretending that every message is free, the platform makes that value explicit--and shares it with the recipient. If the model succeeds, it could create a professional network where people send fewer but more meaningful messages, recipients have a reason to respond, and verified identities make conversations more trustworthy. For BharatPing, the ambition is not simply to create another place to collect professional connections. It is to create a network where those connections actually lead to conversations. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same.)
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