LinkedIn launched in May 2003, Facebook a year later. LinkedIn opened its India office in December 2009, Facebook in September 2010. As of 1 June 2011 LinkedIn had 100 million members, nine million in India. Facebook has 4% of its total users globally, or 25 million, in India - up from 100,000 four years back.

Unsurprisingly Javier Olivan , Head of International Growth, Facebook, says: `` We see India as a big growth market and that will be on mobiles .'' Adds Hari V Krishnan, country manager, LinkedIn: "We are trying to connect talent with opportunity on a massive scale.'' LinkedIn is trying to reach out to the 40 million professionals in the organized sector. It has a team of 30 in India, largely sales people. The professional networking site is focused on a lucrative demographic-executives looking to manage their careers actively . To tap it LinkedIn has come up with three revenue streams: fees from users of premium services, advertising and money from companies that use it to hunt for talent. Anyone can be a LinkedIn member for free, and get connected to their colleagues, contacts and business partners.