Business votes for ink

Voter's ink on the index finger is going to get much more than a winning candidate this election season. Companies are luring those who do vote with special discounts, offers and freebies.

For instance, those flying Virgin Atlantic on the Delhi-London route on Thursday can enter a contest to win prizes such as cabin upgrades, lounge access and gift hampers if they have exercised their right to vote.

"We are proud to operate in the world's largest democracy and we think it's very important that as many people as possible use their right to vote,"said Stephen King, general manager, Virgin Atlantic, India.

Travel portal Goibibo.com is running a campaign where those who upload a 'selfie' (the inreasingly popular term for a self-portrait photograph, typically taken with a hand-held digital camera or camera phone) on their 'voting done' would be credited with Rs 200 for use on products such as airlines, buses, hotels, etc. The website will also give free holiday packages to the best comments posted by voters along with their selfies on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

"We will run this campaign for the duration of elections. This is the last-mile push to get people to go and vote. We are expecting big numbers, not just from metros but smaller towns as well," said Sanjay Bhasin, chief executive officer.

A little over 60 petrol pumps in Delhi and the national capital region are offering a 50p a litre discount to commuters who show an inked index finger. Several hotels are offering election packages for places such as Varanasi and Ahmedabad, especially on bulk bookings.

Experts say the world's biggest elections are anopportunity for companies to design marketing campaigns around the current mood and gain more customers.

Findmystay.com, a hotel booking site, has launched a promotion called 'Big names for big gains'. It is offering up to a Rs 1,000 discount on bookings to customers who share their first or last name with politicians such as Rahul Gandhi, Narendra Modi or Arvind Kejriwal. The website has drawn a list of 300 politician names "on offer." The bookings can be made for any day till the end of this year. "We wanted to create a buzz and also awareness for the urban youth," said Simran Sial, co-founder, Findmystay.com.