Local Business Finder App

SIAHA CITY DIRECTORY ANDROID MOBILE APPLICATION – DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS Project: Digital Yellow Pages Directory for Siaha, Mizoram Platform: Android (Google Play Store) Maximum Development Budget: ₹10,000 Application Type: Lightweight, Offline-First Directory App 1. PROJECT OBJECTIVE Develop a simple, clean, lightweight and user-friendly Android application named SIAHA CITY DIRECTORY, similar to a traditional Yellow Pages directory. The application will help residents of Siaha, Mizoram, easily find contact information for government offices, schools, hospitals, NGOs, shops, businesses, service providers and other local organisations. The priority is simplicity, fast performance, offline accessibility, stability, security and affordability. No complicated or expensive features are required. 2. MAIN FEATURES & CATEGORIES The application should include the following categories: Government Offices and Departments Schools and Educational Institutions Hospitals and Healthcare Centres NGOs and Associations Shops and Local Businesses Professional Service Providers Public Services Other Organisations Each listing should contain: Unique ID Category Organisation / Office / Business Name Person's Name Designation Contact Number WhatsApp Number Address / Location Active / Inactive Status Optional information should be hidden when unavailable. 3. SEARCH & CONTACT FUNCTIONALITY Users must be able to search by organisation name, office name, person's name, designation, contact number, business name and category. Required features: Category-wise browsing. Office-wise searching. Designation-wise searching. Partial keyword searching. Fast and accurate search results. Every listing should have: CALL: Opens the Android phone dialler with the contact number. WHATSAPP: Opens a WhatsApp conversation with the listed number. No user login or registration should be required. 4. EXCEL-BASED DATA MANAGEMENT The owner must be able to manage all directory information through Microsoft Excel without programming knowledge. The developer must provide a standard Excel (.xlsx) template with fixed column headings. The owner should be able to add, edit, update, deactivate and remove directory listings through Excel. Required update workflow: Owner updates the Excel file. Excel data is converted into structured JSON through a reusable process. Updated JSON is uploaded to a simple online hosting service. The app automatically checks for new data when internet is available. Updated information is downloaded and stored locally. All users receive the latest directory information without reinstalling the app or updating it through the Play Store. Important: Excel must remain the primary data-entry format. Owner should not need to edit JSON or source code. Every listing must have a unique ID. Provide an easy, documented upload and conversion process. Invalid or incomplete updates must not replace existing valid data. Include an optional manual refresh button. Avoid unnecessary downloads when no data has changed. A complicated admin dashboard or custom backend is not required. 5. MANDATORY OFFLINE FUNCTIONALITY The application MUST work completely offline after installation and initial directory data download. On first launch, the app should download the directory database and save it permanently in the phone's local storage. Without internet, users must be able to: Open and browse the application. View all downloaded categories. Search offices, schools, hospitals and businesses. Search by names and designations. View contact numbers and addresses. Access previously downloaded directory information. Close and reopen the app without losing data. Restart the phone and continue using the directory. The CALL button should work offline by opening the phone dialler, although actual calls require mobile network connectivity. WhatsApp messaging requires internet. Offline data protection: Retain the previous database if internet is unavailable. Never delete existing data before a new dataset is successfully downloaded and validated. The application must continue working if the hosting service is temporarily unavailable. Online synchronisation must not interrupt offline searching. Mandatory acceptance test: Install the app, download the initial database, turn off Wi-Fi and mobile data, close and reopen the app, search multiple categories, view contact details and restart the phone. All downloaded directory and search features must continue working. 6. DESIGN & PERFORMANCE The application should have: Clean, modern and professional interface. Simple navigation and category icons. Easy-to-read fonts. Lightweight installation size. Fast loading and searching. Minimal RAM and storage consumption. Compatibility with commonly used Android devices. No unnecessary animations or heavy graphics. Stable performance without frequent crashes. 7. SECURITY & RELIABILITY Use HTTPS for online data delivery. Validate downloaded JSON data before applying updates. Maintain a backup of the last valid local database. Use unique listing IDs. Avoid unnecessary permissions and data collection. No unnecessary advertisements or tracking. Provide maintainable source code. Use proper Android application signing. The application should be suitable for long-term use with routine maintenance. 8. RECOMMENDED TECHNOLOGY The developer may choose the most economical and suitable technology. Preferred options: Android App: Flutter or Kotlin. Local Database: SQLite / Room. Data Entry: Microsoft Excel. Data Delivery: JSON. Online Hosting: Cloudflare Pages, GitHub Pages, Firebase Hosting or equivalent. Synchronisation: Version-based JSON update checking. Use a lightweight offline-first architecture. Expensive servers and paid database subscriptions are not required for the initial version. 9. GOOGLE PLAY STORE PUBLISHING The developer must provide: Signed Android App Bundle (AAB). APK installation file. Application icon and basic branding. Play Store screenshots and description.