The Internet Society, a global body which promotes internet-related standards, education and policy has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci).
According to the MoU, both the organisations will collaborate on a range of Internet-focused projects in India.
As a first step in this direction, both the organisations are holding an Internet Governance Conference in New Delhi on 4-5 October this year.
The agenda will cover a wide range of Internet issues including multi-stakeholder model for Internet governance, international telecommunication regulations and internet governance. The conference will also discuss broadband access, cyber security and privacy and Internet Protocol v6 (IPv6).
"The Internet Society is a strong advocate of a free and open Internet. We look forward to collaborating with Ficci to develop and offer programmes that reflect our mutual interests, especially in the critical areas of Internet policy and standards," said Rajnesh Singh, Internet Society’s Regional Bureau Director for Asia-Pacific.
Rajiv Kumar, Secretary General, Ficci, said he expected the governance conference to help with informed policy dialogue within India and shape global agenda on the Internet governance discourse.
According to the latest report of Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), the number of internet users in India is expected to cross 150 million by December 2012. As of end of December, 2011, India had 121 million internet users.