Local search platform Getit ropes in former Microsoft top exec Jaspreet Bindra as CEO

Local search and classifieds platform Getit  has appointed former Microsoft top executive, Jaspreet Bindra, as its new chief executive officer.

Bindra is replacing Sidharth Gupta, whose next role is not yet clear. A company spokesperson said Gupta would continue on the board of the firm.

A former regional director (retail, entertainment & devices) at Microsoft, Bindra has 18 years of experience in business leadership, sales & marketing, and startup space across several verticals including digital, mobile, retail and consumer telecom businesses.

Commenting on his appointment, Bindra said, "Getit has come a long way from a background of leadership in yellow pages to transforming itself into a leading digital marketing company today."

Bindra started his career with the Tata Administrative Services (TAS) and spent 11 years with the Tata Group, working across its FMCG and telecom businesses. He worked with Microsoft India for six years in various leadership positions – heading its internet business and subsequently, the retail, entertainment and devices businesses. He was also part of the startup team at Baazee.com (now eBay India) and worked as its COO. Bindra has been involved with the tech startup ecosystem as an entrepreneur, mentor and advisor.

A Statistics major from Delhi University, former Getit CEO Gupta joined the company in 2002 as its COO. He played a key role in the growth of the Yellow Pages at the company and took over as the CEO in 2008, focusing on the overall strategic and tactical direction of the company. Gupta completed the ISB Wharton Global Advanced Management Programme from Indian Business School, Hyderabad and Wharton Business School in the US.

Getit Infoservices Pvt Ltd is a digital marketing company and offers a platform for local searches, classifieds, micro communities and deals. Last April, it launched a local search app for the iOS and later extended it to Android, BlackBerry and Windows OS. A month later, it came up with NearMe, a local search feature for mobile apps. The company also offers 24×7 teleservice for consumers who want to buy or sell products.

In December 2012, Getit announced  a partnership with Yahoo where Getit would power the search results under Yahoo Local. This means any search conducted on Yahoo Local will automatically land on a co-branded section that will be powered by Getit.

(Edited by Sanghamitra Mandal)