FB’s India chief calls for web access to all

Government, private sector, NGOs must work together in making internet available to five billion people who are currently not having access to it, says Krithiga Reddy

Facebook's country head Kirthiga Reddy speaking on innovations in social media at the second edition of the ISB Digital Summit at the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad on Friday. — Photo: P.V. Sivakumar

Kirthiga Reddy, head of Facebook India office, on Friday stressed the need for private sector, public bodies and NGOs to work together in making available the Internet to about five billion people who were currently not having access to it.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the two-day Digital Summit-2013 held at the Indian School of Business here on Friday, she outlined how the social media platform, Facebook, was helping businesses, including retailers, to reach out to their clients and know consumer behaviour.

Referring to the power of social media, she said it was also helping in equalising on the community side.

However, access to internet was a pre-requisite for equalizing.

Terming as ambitious mission the need to ensure Internet access to five billion in the coming years, she private companies, public sector and NGOs would have to join hands and work holistically in that direction. Research has shown that access to Internet was directly correlated to creation of jobs and GDP growth.

Replying to a question bringing down costs, she said Facebook was working with operators, mobile service manufacturers to figure out how they could collectively reduce the costs. The challenge was to work across sectors ad hierarchies to make solutions happen.

Ms.Reddy said Facebook had recently launched a portal that would help businesses in reaching out effectively to their clients.