Zuckerberg says he finds Andreessen's India comments 'deeply upsetting'

Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen apologized Wednesday for a tweet claiming India's stance against colonialism has hurt the country economically, a remark met with criticism from Indian entrepreneurs and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Facebook board member Andreessen made the remark as part of a defense of Facebook's Free Basics, a service offering free, limited Internet access on mobile devices. The service was banned in India, as regulators claimed Facebook would hold a strong influence over what Internet users would see.

"Anti-colonialism has been economically catastrophic for the Indian people for decades. Why stop now," wrote Andreessen, who has since deleted the tweet.

In a flurry of tweets known as a "tweetstorm," Andreessen took back those comments. "I am a huge admirer of the nation of India and the Indian people, who have been nothing but kind and generous to me for many years," he wrote. "I apologize for any offense my comment caused, and withdraw it in full and without reservation." Through a spokesperson, he declined to comment to USA TODAY.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg weighed in later in the day, saying he disagreed with Andreessen's earlier, since-deleted statements. In a post to his Facebook page Wednesday, Zuckerberg called the comments "deeply upsetting" and said they did not reflect his company's stance on India's decision to shut down Free Basics.

Zuckerberg has visited India multiple times, meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Facebook hosted Modi for a town hall on its California headquarters campus last year. India is home to the greatest number of Facebook users outside the U.S.

"Facebook stands for helping to connect people and giving them voice to shape their own future," he wrote. "But to shape the future we need to understand the past." He said as Facebook's community in India has grown, he's gained a deeper appreciation for the need to understand India's history and culture.

"I've been inspired by how much progress India has made in building a strong nation and the largest democracy in the world, and I look forward to strengthening my connection to the country."

'Anti-colonialism has been economically catastrophic'

Andreessen, who invested in the social network and has served as a board member since 2008, had defended Free Basics and ripped India's government for the ban. "Denying world's poorest free partial Internet connectivity when today they have none, for ideological reasons, strikes me as morally wrong," he said.

That sparked a discussion with several Twitter users, including entrepreneur Vikram Chachra, who argue Free Basics creates a "walled garden" where Facebook could influence the type of content displayed.

Following a series of tweets also including Andreessen Horowitz partner Benedict Evans, Andreessen claimed India's response to colonialism was hurting the country.

The tweet was immediately met with swift backlash. "Marc Andreessen's view on colonialism is shocking and makes you wonder how Silicon Valley thinks in general," said communications specialist Shakti Shetty on Twitter, one of several reactions denouncing the investor's claims.

The venture capitalist would later send out the first of a series of tweets apologizing for the comments. "I made an ill-informed and ill-advised comment about Indian politics and economics," wrote Andreessen. "To be clear, I am 100% opposed to colonialism, and 100% in favor of independence and freedom, in any country, including India."

The Free Basics service launched last year in India, but faced criticism over concerns with net neutrality, the concept that Internet providers should offer equal access to all content. India's Telecom Regulatory Authority welcomed providing free data "to access the entire Internet."

In a Facebook post published Monday, Zuckerberg had said he was disappointed in India's decision. "We are committed to keep working to break down barriers to connectivity in India and around the world. Internet.org has many initiatives, and we will keep working until everyone has access to the Internet."

Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.