The results also showcased popular websites browsed on the mobile phones, as 54.7 percent went for search engines, 51.3 percent for news, 31.6 percent went on social networking sites, 13.7 percent used net banking, 8.5 percent for gaming sites, 5.1 percent on e-books, 3.4 percent on academic sites and 2.4 percent on matrimonial sites.

Among the surveyed, 20 percent of the web surfers are the working class with mobile phones, 38 percent are from the lower middle class and 42 percent are from the upper middle class.

Google did the survey that looks at how people are using Orkut communities to forge bonds, to express themselves, to come together around causes and topics that excite them or simply to share their creative pursuits with a wider audience.

What did Google find about Gen-YRI? According to Google, young India remains patriotic; being ’stylish’ is a growing priority too! It also said the stock market is growing in appeal for the young traders while football catches up with cricket. And, interestingly, Bollywood seems to be losing to Tollywood. Another aspect is the gender discrimination is weakening as both men and women actively engage in discussions.  Everyone loves to ‘chat’ but ‘photo’ sharing and comments are the new fad.

The top advertisers on the website include FMCG, education, telecom and banking and financial services companies, whose target audience is the young population in the country according to Economic Times article reporting on the same survey titled “Fashion Patriotism and Chocolate high on Orkut India“.

The agency has downgraded its global ad growth forecast for 2009 to -8.5 per cent, from -6.9 per cent in April after the first quarter figures this year came in below forecasts. Not every market is in decline this year, though.

China is predicted to grow 5.4 per cent this year overtaking the UK to become the world’s fourth largest ad market.
The agency claims the global downturn in advertising is approaching its lowest point. While North America is expected to suffer a third year of decline into 2010 and Western Europe stagnates, the rest of the world should return to growth in 2010.

The survey was conducted on behalf of MTVNI, Nokia, 20th Century Fox, Fox Mobile Group and Channel 4. It was conducted between September and December 2008 in the UK, the US, Germany, India and Japan, amongst 8,000 technology embracing 12-24 year olds.

It aimed to understand how technology has impacted the social lives of young people globally, and explores how these lifestyle changes affect their relationships with friends, family, entertainment media, communication technologies, advertising and brands.

The Indian youth not only favour certain brands, they talk about them (two in three discuss a brand a ‘lot’) and make researched purchases, too. Almost 87 per cent of the Indian youth (as against only 80 per cent in Germany) make a researched purchase.

Read more about it here.