Mumbai, July 18 :     Lycos Inc., the leading global internet communications, commerce and media company, today set up base in India by launching Lycos India, a portal site dedicated to domestic internet users. Lycos launched the Indian portal through one of the region's fastest growing internet companies, Lycos Asia , which is an arm of Lycos Inc. 'The website, lycosasia.co.in, will offer localised content and services in English and Hindi,' Mary Ong, CEO, Lycos Asia, told reporters at the launch today. She also said the site's content is prepared in India in collaboration with local partners. It will provide the users a comprehensive array of services which include search, local directories, free-e-mail and web-building. It will also provide channels of special relevance to the local communities. Lycos has tied up with leading content providers in India like Indbazaar, Webdunia, Cyberastro, Nazaara, CIOL, Jobsahead, Weddingsutra and a few more. The partnership with Webdunia has allowed Lycos to reach out to the Indian mass via the Hindi website of the former. The partnership with e-patra allows users to send e-mails in vernacular languages like Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati and Punjabi. Ong added that Lycos Asia's entry into India is the most natural and logical step instigated by the country's fast developing infrastructure in information technology as also by Asia's fastest growing internet population residing in the country. Initially, Lycos India will depend on revenues from advertising but eventually e-commerce income will form a major part of its earnings. 'Lycos Asia's growth and growing influence in the region is driven by the company's deep seated conviction that internet users in multi-cultural Asia will respond to local content, with a depth of services of international quality', said Ms Ong. However, she declined to reveal the nature of the tie-up with the Indian outfits. Lycos Asia, which has already established a local office in the city will eventually expand to Bangalore and Delhi. The Singapore based Lycos Asia is a 50:50 and US$ 50 million joint venture between Lycos Inc and Singapore Telecommunications Limited formed in Singapore in 1999. Founded in 1995, Lycos Inc. is a leading web media company and owner of the Lycos network, one of the most united hubs on the internet reaching one out of every two web users.