(Yicai Global)Sept. 11 -- Chinese online travel platform Ctrip.Com Internationalis keeping mumon its investment in Indian food delivery and restaurant search platform Zomato, but an insider has confirmedthis plan.

Shanghai-based Ctrip is in talksover thearound USD100 million investment withZomato, dubbed India'sversion of China's popular Ele.me meal delivery platform, the Times of India reported yesterday.Negotiations are underway on specifics,the insider disclosed, state news outlet The Paper reported today, but the deal will probably be concludewithin two weeks, Indian media reported.

Ctrip, Ant Financial Services Group--an affiliate like Ele.meof Hangzhou-basedAlibaba GroupHolding --and several other investors will likely infuse about USD400 million into the catering platform, sending its market valuation toUSD1.8 billion to USD2 billion, per the report.

Ctrip'sinvestment in an Indian company comes as no surprise to the sector, asithas already bought intoonline travel websiteMakeMyTripIndia.

Sun Jie, Ctrip's chief executive-- who goes by the English name Jane Jie Sun --has clearly expressed the company's India expansion ambitions. One vital arrangement for the company's globalization strategy lies in the country, because Ctripsees great potentialthere inits burgeoning population, Sun said. India will gain from its demographic dividend in a decade or two and isalso replete with innovation, she added.

Ctripinclines towardexpandingitsIndian market with local teams, whichmeans itwill hatch evenmore plans to investinIndian companies, Sun revealed.

Editor: Ben Armour