Guinness to launch India operation

In order to cope with an ever-increasing number of applications from India, Guinness World Records (GWR), the global authority on record-breaking achievement, has for the first time launched its Indian operations.

It has appointed a dedicated India-based official in response to the country`s phenomenal interest in the domain. "In 2011, India made the third greatest number of record applications to Guinness World Records - behind only US and United Kingdom. Applications from India have grown nearly 400 per cent in the past five years and number of actual record holders have grown over 250 per cent in the same period," said Nikhil Shukla, India representative of GWR based in the city.

Shukla, who is to report directly to GWR headquarters in London, will focus on meeting the huge demand for record- breaking within India.

GWR is also launching a dedicated Indian website www.guinnessworldrecords.in. The site will be the home of record-breaking for Indian audiences and feature the latest world record news from India and around the world, he added. The website also hosts a free of charge official record application process.

Recent Indian record-breakers making their place in history include the 485 children of Kolkata, who were brought together on January 29, 2012 by the charity TRACKS, to mark the 64th anniversary of the death of Mahatma Gandhi with a peace march which achieved the Guinness World Records title for largest gathering of people dressed as `Bapu`.

Zee TV`s popular `Dance India Dance` programme earned its place in the record books with the largest Bollywood dance show which involved 4,428 people at Somaiyya College, Mumbai.

The telecast of `Guinness World Records: Ab India Todega` on private TV channel Colors, hosted by Bollywood star Preity Zinta, led to an 85 per cent year-on-year increase in record applications in 2011. The show is set to be re-commissioned and will return to screens later in 2012, a GWR statement said.

Commenting on the launch in India, Alistair Richards, Global Managing Director for Guinness World Records said, "India is an incredibly important market for Guinness World Records. We have seen record applications growing at an incredible rate year-after-year. For Guinness World Records, establishing our official presence in the India represents our commitment to building on this success and bringing greater focus to the talents and skills of India."

Talking to PTI, Shulka said, "My focus is to promote Guinness World Records as the ultimate authority on record- breaking and human achievement. I believe that India has a wealth of untapped talent which can make our country the leaders in record-breaking success."