Facebook gains higher profile in India

MUMBAI, India - In a two-room shanty with no running water in northern Mumbai, Darshana Verma makes tea on a small stove. On a bench nearby, her 18-year-old son, Vishal, messages Facebook friends on the keypad of his Nokia smartphone.

"This is the Internet age," said the 36-year-old domestic helper, who spent more than half of her $300 monthly income on Samsung Electronics Co and Nokia Oyj mobile phones for her children. "Facebook is there, all these things happen there now - they make friends, maybe they can even find jobs there."

Cheaper Internet-ready phones may make India the biggest market after the United States for Facebook Inc next year. The country has more than 50 million users, according to Nielsen Co. As Google Inc's rival social network also gains in popularity, companies including Pepsi Co are boosting Internet advertising to reach the 352 million children under age 15 who are coming online.