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Smartphone app to guide Chinese expats in NCR [Noida] [Times of India](Times of India Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Of the many challenges of living abroad, culture shock and homesickness are perhaps the easiest to deal with. Things get tougher, though, when it comes to finding one's way about in an alien setting. Tasks that may otherwise seem facile - like where to eat or shop - become serious challenges in a foreign country. What the newly-arrived expat requires is expert guidance, which is just what the developers of 'Chindia Guru' - a smartphone app designed to make life simpler for Chinese nationals living in the NCR area. The recently-launched application was designed and developed in Gurgaon by members of the Chindia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI). The developers themselves are Chinese nationals who have been longtime residents in these parts and know the ropes well. Apart from pointers on the best Chinese restaurants in Gurgaon and grocery stores that stock the favoured goods, the application also provides essential information on where and how Chinese nationals can get a visa, financial and legal services in the NCR. "The idea is to make the Chinese community's life in India easy," said Amit Li Jian, the secretary general of the CCCI, summing up the main objective of this smartphone application. According to him, there are around 2,000 Chinese nationals living across the NCR, and almost 1,500 of them are based in Gurgaon, working primarily in the telecommunications and power sectors. "There are three major functions of this app. One is to guide the Chinese nationals on basic points like shopping, traveling and getting apartments and hotels. Second is the commercial part, which deals with connecting users to brands, restaurants and other business services. And finally, it is about community building, helping the Chinese nationals living here connect with each other better," said Jian. The app is updated frequently and has a section where notifications on the latest events and activities of interest to the local Chinese community, are posted. (c) 2014 Bennett, Coleman & Company Limited |