The Facebook developer platform relies on the strength of our international community, with more than 70 percent of Facebook developers located outside the U.S. Since we launched FbStart, our program to help early stage mobile developers, we’ve distributed benefits worth more than $50 million to startups in Asia Pacific and held FbStart events around the globe.

Developer Opportunities in India

More developers are building apps with Facebook in India than any other country outside the U.S. and today, more than 75 percent of top-grossing apps in India are integrated with Facebook. Of the $50 million in benefits distributed to Asia Pacific startups through FbStart, more than $20 million went to startups in India. And this week we’re bringing FbStart to developers in Bangalore and Gurgaon with full-day events dedicated to helping them grow their businesses.

With millions of people still not yet connected to the Internet in India and around the world, there is a huge opportunity for mobile developers to build some of the first experiences people have with the Internet.

Through programs like FbStart and the Internet.org Platform, announced earlier this summer, we’re working with developers to build better mobile experiences that demonstrate the power of the internet.

FbStart World Tour in Asia Pacific

This month, we held FbStart events in Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, and India as part of our FbStart World Tour, where we met with program members and local developers. Strategic Partnerships Director Ime Archibong keynoted both events in India, where he spoke with developers  about tips for growing their businesses and reaching more people through Facebook’s tools:

“I’m incredibly excited to be back in India this week. There’s an amazing opportunity for Indian-based developers to work with Facebook to grow their businesses, and we are doubling down on our investment in the country through programs like FbStart and the Internet.org Platform.”

A number of Asia Pacific FbStart apps have already shown how they can use the tools provided through the program to see success — you can read more about those companies on our developer blog here. And you can learn more about applying to join FbStart on our site here.