Two democratic giants, India and Indonesia, are finding that the growth of the internet has produced unexpected challenges. A recent discussion held in Hong Kong at the Asia Society was just posted on YouTube. Two separate descriptions of the event were provided by the Asia Society:

In a conversation moderated by Duncan Macintosh, CEO and executive director of the APNIC Foundation; Managing Director and CEO of Netmagic Sharad Sanghi; Sylvia Sumarlin, chair of the Indonesian Information Technology Federation; and Director General of APNIC Paul Wilson provided insights on how the internet is revolutionizing the economy. The panelists discuss the rise of the internet, its challenges, and how internet development has led to an increase in smartphone and app users as well as a rise in e-commerce.

And also:

The Internet in Asia is increasingly vital to the region’s development and efficiency. India and Indonesia are two of the region’s largest Internet economies with a combined population of almost two billion people. While they are being transformed by Internet-driven innovation, each has its own special characteristics in terms of challenges and opportunities. Leading proponents of the Internet in the Asia Pacific and the Internet communities in India and Indonesia will provide insights on how the Internet is revolutionizing these economies.

Some information was provided about the participants:

• Sharad Sanghi is Managing Director and CEO of Netmagic which he founded in 1998, and is now an NTT Communications Company. Netmagic is India’s leading managed hosting and cloud service provider, with over 1,100 employees and nine data centers delivering services to over 2,000 customers across the globe. With over 20 years’ experience, he is experienced in developing Internet backbone infrastructure and providing Internet services. Mr Sanghi graduated from IIT Bombay and received his Master’s degree from Columbia University.
• Sylvia Sumarlin is Chair of the Indonesian Information Technology Federation which represents 14 professional IT associations. Ms. Sumarlin leads efforts to advise the government on a national ICT roadmap and regulations that encourage the use of ICT and promote local IT industries. In 1995 she established and led Dyviacom Intrabumi (DNET), one of Indonesia’s first ISPs. She also founded two other companies specializing in chipset development and defence activity. Ms. Sumarlin received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Syracuse University.
• Paul Wilson has nearly 30 years’ involvement with the Internet in Asia, and almost 20 years as the Director General of APNIC, the Regional Internet address Registry for the Asia Pacific. He has led APNIC’s development as a provider of critical Internet services and as a key contributor to Internet growth and development in the region. Mr. Wilson has worked as an expert and leader across many communities and organisations involved in Internet development, including network operators, non-profit organisations, and governments.
• Duncan Macintosh is CEO and Executive Director of the APNIC Foundation. The Foundation supports internet development in the Asia Pacific, particularly capacity building, infrastructure and technical communities. Mr. Macintosh has spent more than 20 years working in development, technology, and media in Asia. He has established foundations in Hong Kong and has extensive experience in innovation, global development and capacity building.

The video is about an hour. Take a look: