Leading navigational player, NAVTEQ announced the finalists for the India region under its 2010 NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge. The seven-year old program will see for the first time a winner specifically from the Indian region.

The list includes application developers Ariose Software Pvt. Ltd. which has developed a social networking application dedicated to hobbies & interests. Its another application mSurvey is an enterprise application allowing users to gather information in a structured manner.

Bangalore-based BIZense Technologies mCOuponStore application is also shortlisted. The application allows users to find coupons based on location and preferences. Another Bangalore-based firm, Eterno Infotech Pvt. Ltd.’ s NewsHunt application which offers location-based advertising with information from India’s popular mobile news services in local languages is also shortlisted for the final award.

Genesys International’s GenesysGOlf application which outdoes the need for golfers to separately carry a range finder device as well as HotDeals’ application which pushes deals to user based on specified wish list and location are also in the list of finalists.

Others in the list include Its4Solutions’ Marathon Master that provides live statistical feedback to help marathon runners improve their performance while training and while running the marathon, MaxMobility’s Child Tracker which offers bus tracking and child safety applications, Mega Car Pool’s carpooling application that helps identify vehicles going to the same destination, Ninad Majmudar’s  LooLoca location-based community application developed for the Android OS that helps to locate loos (restrooms/washrooms), Optimystix Entertainment’s Taxi Seeker application allowing users to log on and search for closest available taxi and Why2Wait’sapplication allowing user to trace the route and arrival time of buses and the availability of cabs in their vicinity through their mobile phones.

“We are thrilled to bring the Global LBS Challenge to the India region, where the pool of talented developers and the growth potential of location-based services are both tremendous,” commented Marc Naddell, vice president, partner and developer programs, NAVTEQ. “By hosting the Global LBS Challenge in India, NAVTEQ expands the unique opportunities that this remarkable program offers to a greater number of location-based developers worldwide.”