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According to figures from online metrics specialist ComScore, Facebook.com commanded 20.9 million visitors in July, representing a 179% rise year on year.

During the same month, second-placed Orkut achieved 19.9 million visitors and, some way behind, was Bharatstudent with 4.4 million.

Facebook’s inexorable global growth follows founder Mark Zuckerberg's announcement that "it is almost a guarantee" that the site will achieve one billion users in the future, as it gains traction in populous countries such as Russia, Japan, China and India.

Facebook passed the 500 million-user mark earlier this summer.

In India, the concept of social networking sites in general also continues to grow apace.

The total Indian social networking audience grew 43% in the past year, more than tripling the rate of growth of the total internet audience in India.

More than 33 million Internet users aged 15 and over in India visited social networking sites in July, representing 84% of the total Internet audience.

Will Hodgman, ComScore executive vice-president for the Asia-Pacific region, said: "The social networking phenomenon continues to gain steam worldwide, and India represents one of the fastest-growing markets at the moment.

"Though Facebook has tripled its audience in the past year to pace the growth for the category, several other social networking sites have posted their own sizeable gains."

India now ranks as the seventh-largest market worldwide for social networking, after the US, China, Germany, Russian Federation, Brazil and the UK.

Top Social Networking Sites in India
Unique Visitors (000), July 2010 vs. July 2009

Total India – Age 15+, Home & Work Locations
Source: comScore Media Metrix

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