Facebook: What is Mark's entrepreneurial agenda in India? India is only second to US on the count of FB users.

By Akash Shukla

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Shutterstock

Shocking, but true! Millions across the globe already believe that Facebook is Internet. This does bring us to a critical juncture: Is Facebook blurring the Internet identity?

On October 28, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg walked on to a stage at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi to a resounding applause. In an hour-long closely controlled question-and-answer session, one of the key questions shot at him was: "Why are you showing so much interest in India? Answer honestly."

The 31-year-old Harvard dropout pretty much unflinchingly dived straight into nuances and spoke on the importance of its 130 million users from India in the Facebook universe. It is pertinent to mention that India is only second to US on the count of FB users.

Speaking of his heart on the mission in Indian subcontinent, Zuckerberg spoke of his contentious plan to dole out Internet services to several million Indians who still are not connected to the Internet.

Internet.org, which drew a lot of flak from the advocates of net neutrality in India, is a free but limited Internet service for the subscribers of Reliance Communications in the country. Zuckerberg tried to douse some flaring concerns and advocated the roused case with this assertion: "Net neutrality is an important principle and we are doing a lot to push it."

However, the ground reality is a bit of a variant from the claimed one. In fact, Facebook's chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg said in the developing world, "people will walk into phone stores and say "I want Facebook.' People actually confuse Facebook and the Internet in some places."

In a bid to annul the controversy Zuckerberg defended his stand, "Some of the people advocating net neutrality say that there should be no zero rated Internet. Zero rating is important to ensure that more people get on to the Internet."

The zero-rated Internet is good on its USP that it doesn't charge customers on the use of certain websites and apps. It continues to be a contentious topic in India as the likes of Zuckerberg believe that it is essential to bring everybody online while critics claim that the richly-funded websites would rake in the benefits and the moolah. Consequently, it would eclipse the small players and the startups and in the long-run quality of Internet would be affected for the "imminent billion users'.

On the entrepreneurial end, it appears, for now, that Mark Zuckerberg has aimed for the best of both worlds when it comes to India as Internet.org can bring him brawn of gatekeeping (which he safely terms as "a gateway') in the virtual world and moolah as it would for rope in a billion prospective net users. In a nutshell, speculations are rife about FB being the neo-Internet avatar in the developing world.

Akash Shukla

Former Sr. Features Writer, Entrepreneur India

With four years of journalistic and editorial experience from two leading English dailies, namely, The Pioneer and Hindustan Times, Akash dabbles in Applied Linguistics and mainstream journalism. His interests include book writing, travelogues, Gender Studies and Shaivism. The author is a senior features writer cum sub editor at 'Entrepreneur Online' and has a dual masters in journalism and English Language Teaching (ELT).

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

JPMorgan Shuts Down Internal Message Board Comments After Employees React to Return-to-Office Mandate

Employees were given the option to leave comments about the RTO mandate with their first and last names on display — and they did not hold back.

News and Trends

Electric Vehicle Maker Euler Motors Secures USD 20 Mn to Transform Logistics Sector

The funding supports Euler Motors' mission to electrify India's commercial vehicle sector by scaling production, advancing next-gen EV R&D, and boosting growth of the Storm EV for logistics and e-commerce.

Leadership

From Elite Athletes to Tech Titans — Discover the Surprising $100-Million Habit That Leads to Extraordinary Success

Success comes from mastering focus, eliminating distractions and prioritizing what truly matters.

Branding

How Introverts Can Lean Into Their Strengths and Unleash Their Personal Branding Superpower

Introverts are just as well-equipped as extroverts to share their thoughts and messages on social media platforms. Learn why and some tips on how to build confidence and get started on your personal branding journey.

Living

Join Costco's Gold Star Membership Today and Receive a $45 Costco Shop Card by Email

Don't miss your chance to get a one-year Costco Gold Star Membership while it includes $45 you can spend online or in-store