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Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg: India crucial to 'next billion online' | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg has said India will be crucial to getting "the next billion online" and helping to combat poverty. | |
Speaking to college students in Delhi, Mr Zuckerberg said expanding Internet access was key to economic growth. | |
Reports say some 900 students turned out for the session at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). | Reports say some 900 students turned out for the session at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). |
Last month, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the headquarters of Facebook in California. | Last month, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the headquarters of Facebook in California. |
With more than 130 million users, India is Facebook's largest market outside the United States. | With more than 130 million users, India is Facebook's largest market outside the United States. |
"If you really have a mission of connecting every person in the world you can't do that without connecting people in India," Mr Zuckerberg told the students. | |
"We have the second biggest community in India and we want the next billion to come online." | |
Mr Zuckerberg said Internet access helped create jobs and lift people out of poverty. | |
Last month, Mr Modi hailed the political power of social media during his visit to the Facebook headquarters. | Last month, Mr Modi hailed the political power of social media during his visit to the Facebook headquarters. |
Mr Modi has said he wants to connect all India's villages to the internet - around a billion Indians currently lack internet access. | Mr Modi has said he wants to connect all India's villages to the internet - around a billion Indians currently lack internet access. |
Facebook says its internet.org project, which offers free access to a bundle of mobile phone web apps, can help get the developing world online. | Facebook says its internet.org project, which offers free access to a bundle of mobile phone web apps, can help get the developing world online. |
But it has drawn criticism in India, accused of favouring Facebook over local services. | |
"We have a moral responsibility to look out for people who do not have the Internet... and make sure the rules don't get twisted to hurt people who don't have a voice," the Facebook CEO said on Wednesday. | |
Mr Zuckerberg visited the Taj Mahal on Tuesday. | Mr Zuckerberg visited the Taj Mahal on Tuesday. |
"It is even more stunning than I expected. It's incredible what people can build - and what love can motivate us to build," he wrote on Facebook. | "It is even more stunning than I expected. It's incredible what people can build - and what love can motivate us to build," he wrote on Facebook. |