Agra (India): Website Agratoday.in was Sunday afternoon launched at hotel Goverdhan, by Dr. Sandeep Jain, senior faculty Computer Sciences Institute of Agra University. Dr Chandra Kant Tripathi, registrar, Central Hindi Institute was the chief guest, while Surendra Sharma, president of the Braj Mandal Heritage Conservation Society presided over the function.

Brij Khandelwal, editor, said, the project has been designed to cater to the needs of those who have left Agra for greener pastures but are still in love with their roots, and incoming tourists wanting information and a feel of the city before landing here. He said the website is user-friendly and focuses on those aspects of the city which the mainstream media generally chooses to avoid for reasons other than journalistic merit. He hoped the website would not only bridge a vital communication gap but also evolve as a lively platform for interaction and exchange of views by activists.

Website has been developed by Mediabharti Web Solutions based in New Delhi.

In his welcome speech IT professional Vikas Dinkar Pandit presented in brief the history of websites in Agra and the significant contribution made by young professionals from the city to the IT sector.

Piyush Pandey, cyber journalist and TV anchor led the discussion on the future of online journalism, saying the rapid advances in the communication technologies would popularize the online media which could in future prove a challenge to conventional media.

Dharmendra Kumar, editor, Mediabharti.com, while offering his best wishes said "the future is with online journalism. It is fast, attractive and affordable. News or information through online conferencing can be easily and promptly transmitted across the globe very effectively. One should also take into consideration the environmental costs to the community in producing newspapers. Online journalism will help save the planet from global warming as trees and greenery would be spared the axe."

Abhishek Mehrotra, online journalist, said as internet penetration increased and technology became affordable news websites would acquire a new role and clout.

A large number of local media persons and social activists were present at the inaugural function. Tourism sector too has welcomed the initiative which was long overdue.

The website has rich content and gives daily news in brief. For the tourists there is enough information on vital issues. The design is slick and the photos from Vishal Khandelwal and Mumbai-based ace fashion photographer Pravin Talan add rich color and variety. Raj Kumar Yadav, of Agra Universitys IT department said for the first time a proper website on Agra combining news and opinion plus useful information had been designed in a very attractive format.

Those who have blessed the project include tourism industry leaders Rakesh Chauhan, Sandeep Arora, Rajiv Tiwari, builders KC Jain, Sumeet Vibhav, medical practitioners Dr Narendra Malhotra, Dr Yogesh Goyal, Dr Ajay Singh, academics and social activists who said the website would indeed be a great rallying point for creative talents.