“Orkut is the number one web property in India with over 17 million active users that comprise 48 per cent of India’s online population. Therefore it is no surprise when everyone refers to Orkut to comprehend the dominant trends in the Indian way of life,” says Rahul Kulkarni, product manager, Google India in the article titled “Young India says stylish ‘Jai Ho’: Orkut Zeitgeist”.  “While different people find different things to do on the web, the list of the top Orkut communities (based on popularity) is the best representation of the unique ways in which Indian users are mining the Internet and social networks,” he concludes.

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“.