I’ve been covering China and India recently, and for a good reason. ContentSutra reports that the Indian government has demanded Google India hand over cash for selling advertisements — in other words, tax money.

Interestingly over Christmas I watched an interview with Milton Friedman on PBS where he was asked to compare China and India. Both are rapdily growing & developing countries. One is communist, the other is a “federal republic.” Friedman said that while China lacks personal freedoms it has great economic freedoms — while India operates the other way around. These economic issues, such as taxation and other government intervention could prove to be a large wall to India’s internet development just as it has to its economic development over the last 50 years.

Thats not to say that the Communist government hasn’t held a heavy hand of censorship over its own internet development either. Both countries have much room for improvement which will only occur if they open the gates of both personal and economic freedom.