comScore, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released a report on the top social networking sites in India, finding that visitation to the site category increased 51 percent from the previous year to more than 19 million visitors in December 2008. The study also found that global social networking brands continued to gain prominence in India during the year, with Orkut, Facebook, hi5, LinkedIn and MySpace each witnessing significant increases in visitation.

“Social networking continued to grow strongly in India this past year, with several of the top global brands carving out a more prominent position,” said Will Hodgman, comScore executive vice president. “While there is certainly room for several players in the social networking space in India, the sites that have the right blend of having both a strong brand and cultural relevance will be best positioned for future growth.”

Orkut Tops List of Social Networking Sites in India

Orkut reigned as the most visited social networking site in December 2008 with more than 12.8 million visitors, an increase of 81 percent from the previous year. Orkut’s audience was three times the size of its nearest competitor in the category. Facebook.com captured the #2 position with 4 million visitors, up 150 percent versus year ago, followed by local social networking site Bharatstudent.com with 3.3 million visitors (up 88 percent) and hi5.com with 2 million visitors (up 182 percent).

In Asia-Pacific Region, Social Networking Shines in Singapore

An overview of social networking activity in the Asia-Pacific region revealed that many of the countries with the highest reach in social networking also exhibited the highest level of site engagement. Singapore led the region in terms of penetration, with more than 74 percent of its online population visiting a social networking site in December 2008. Social networking visitors in Singapore also posted the most visits per visitor to the category with an average of 19 during the month.

Other countries in the region that displayed strong social networking penetration and engagement included Australia, South Korea and Malaysia. Despite the strong growth in India during the past year, it showed below average penetration and engagement in the Asia-Pacific region.