1,000,000,000 clicks and counting

That's the good news. The bad news is that India is just not browsing enough

1,000,000,000 clicks and counting

That's the good news. The bad news is that India is just not browsing enough

To describe the concept of mixed emotions, Veda Vyasa in the Mahabharata said that the heart of Dritharashtra was like a lake on which the sun is shining cool at the bottom and warm at the top. He would have understood our feelings perfectly if he had seen a press release that comScore released late last week.

One feels good when one realises that the total global Internet audience of age 15 and older from both home and work computers has surpassed 1 billion visitors in December 2008. It is also nice to note that 41.3 per cent of these people are from the Asia Pacific. In fact, Asia Pacific is way ahead of the rest of the world Europe, the runner up, comes a distant second with 28 per cent.

China is king

When we look at the countries involved, we have a leader in China, which accounts for 17.8 per cent of the worldwide Internet users, bigger than even the US, which has 16.2 per cent users. These two are the only countries with percentage points in double digits, and the number three, Japan, accounts for just 6 per cent.

While it really makes all of us who make a living of the Web proud to see the growth of the Internet, it is saddening to note that India stands at a pitiful 3.2 per cent. True, India is the 8th on the list and the only countries between Japan and India Germany (3.7 per cent), UK (3.6 per cent), and France (3.4 per cent) are not exactly way ahead of us. But still, considering what we want to achieve, shouldn't we be among the top five?

To get to the top five by a respectable margin, we need to account for at least 5 per cent of the global audience. This way, just as we are held in some respect for our purchasing power, which has made us an important player in the global economy, we can also play a bigger role in shaping the Internet and the Web in the future.

Time to cooperate

According to Goldman Sachs, by 2050 the combined economies of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) could eclipse the combined economies of the current richest countries of the world. Why can't this also apply for the Net?

Security experts have always said that Russia, China and India could one day emerge as the next super power. Right now, China, Russia and India account for 23.9 per cent of the users of the Net. If, instead of competing with China, India and Russia were to cooperate with China, then we could have a much larger say in how the Internet shapes up in the future.

But, will we?

QUICK TAKE
>>China, Russia and India account for 23.9 per cent of Internet users
>>This is greater than the US and Japan put together
>>If China, India and Russia cooperate, then we can emerge as an Internet superpower