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New Delhi - Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday said Facebook was committed to net neutrality while denying that his company's Free Basics service violated principles of an open internet.
Facebook's Internet.org initiative, rebranded as Free Basics, aims to provide select websites and apps for free.
It has been criticised by net neutrality advocates in India, who allege that Facebook aims to woo users with the offer of free access and later trapping them to pay for future paid services.
Addressing students in the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi, Zuckerberg said net neutrality was not in conflict with universal access.
"We 100% support net neutrality and lobby for it across the world ... but at the same time, we should continue to push for access," he said.
"Most people pushing for net neutrality already have access to the internet. But those who are not on the net cannot sign petitions for increased access to internet. We all have a moral responsibility to look out for those who don't have access."
Net neutrality means all internet applications and websites should be given the same access in terms of speed and cost by internet providers.
Free Basics currently provides internet access to 15 million people in 24 countries.
Zuckerberg also said India would be crucial to getting the "next billion online".
"If you really have a mission of connecting every person in the world, you can't do that without connecting people in India," Zuckerberg said, adding internet access helped create jobs and lift people out of poverty.
With more than 130 million users, India is Facebook's largest market outside the United States. Big internet companies like Amazon.com, Uber and Google have already announced plans to expand in India and announced investments in India.
