Social Networking Giant Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB) has doled benefits worth US $20 million to Indian developers. For the Facebook, India has become the next biggest market in the world after the US to help build and monetize apps.
FB has been providing free tools and services valuing $50 million to developers in Asia and the Pacific under its FbStart initiative that was started in April, 2014.
Facebook Director Product Platform Partnerships, Ime Archibong was talking to PTI, and he said that Developers were an important part of their ecosystem. Ime added that he was aware of the hurdles that developers face since they have also grown from a small entity. With this initiative, Facebook will look into other aspects and let the developers direct their energies to build world class products.
Highlighting the importance of India, Archibong said that country had the second highest number of developers after the US in the FBStart initiative.
He also added that more Indian developers are making apps with Facebook in India than any other country besides the US. Out of the $50 million distributed under the FbStart, $20 million was distributed to Indian developers. Facebook has revealed that 70% of the developers working on its platform came from countries outside the US.
The FbStart initiative has over 100 members as per information provided by Facebook. Facebook plans to hold events in 20 different locations across the globe including Bangalore and Gurgaon. Any developer who has launched or are associated with one of Facebook initiatives venture capital, accelerator, or incubator partners can apply for the program.
Developers who are selected can pick any track offered by Facebook like Pre-launch, Bootstrap, and Accelerate or packages like Internet.org, Games.
Facebook will decide where the developers have to be placed according to their relevance and the stage of development.
Developers will be given a set of free tools and services to tend to their development needs if they are accepted. The benefits of the programme expire one year after being accepted.
