Facebook on Monday introduced the Internet.org Platform, an open program for developers to create services that integrate with Internet.org, in a move the social media giant said would boost efforts to get people online in low-income and rural areas in emerging markets. The platform will be open to all developers who meet certain guidelines, including content being built for browsing on both feature and smartphones and in limited bandwidth scenarios, the company said in a statement.

The move comes amid growing debate in India over free access and net neutrality in the country.

Facebook partnered with Reliance Communications to launch Internet.org in India in February. But a number of e-commerce firms and content developers pulled out of the service subsequently as activists claimed it violated principles of net neutrality - the concept that all websites on the internet are treated equally.

The Internet.org application offers free access to basic internet services on mobile phones, as well as access to Facebook's own social network and messaging services.