We all aspire to have relationships around us where we can have people who return our phone calls, respond to our emails, and help us professionally and socially in ways that you cannot even begin to imagine.

The good news is that if done right, the online world presents a powerful media platform to build, manage and grow your linkages of relationships on a global basis, with a click of a mouse. No need to solely rely on expensive events, or cocktail conversations or flying to trade shows to build your network of contacts, if you personally master the online world for building deep professional networks.

Many of us are spending significant time on social and professional networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, Orkut, SiliconIndia. Both as an entrepreneur and as a savvy internet consumer, it is important to understand how these social networks are impacting lives and the business opportunities.

SiliconIndia is trying to build an online community to help make a difference to India Inc. If you are genuinely interested in India Inc. (BTW, if your passion lies somewhere else, than so be it!) the SI network could be a great tool to get started. But, regardless of the tool you use to start touching the lives of others in positive ways, you will succeed in the "Art and Science of Professional Networking".

Network that is not self-serving:

Traditional networking techniques suggest that you identify a person and then you try to network with them and build and cultivate relationship. You do this because it will help you -- This is exactly the reason why networking becomes uncomfortable for both parties, it starts to feel "self-serving". It diminishes the value of the yet-to-be-formed relationship as one struggle with should I or should I not reach out to this person who will eventually help me out in some unknown ways.

Network should not be a list of contacts:

While it is always useful to have people's name, phone, email so that you can call them. But what is more important is the depth and the quality of the relationship, not so much as the "quantity" of relationships. In the world of Internet, you can easily figure out how to reach anyone if you try hard enough. But that fact alone does not give the relationship to reach out and seek help/advise/favors when needed to help you grow in your profession/studies/business.

Sincerity is critical:

As you touch people, their lives, their thoughts and their actions, it is important that you truly are sincere in your approach and beliefs. If you truly don’t believe or mean what you say, chances are that your network will sooner or later get devalued. Your intent is key. If people around you see you as a genuine person who cares and who cares to make a difference in the lives of others, you will go places.

Winning networks to enhance trust

Ebay created a trusted environment for buyers and sellers to aggregate. That was Web 1.0. Looking ahead, modern day networks of individuals or institutions have to create similar trusted environments if they have to thrive as online communities of the future. Trust can be created through Ebay style ratings, but I contend, in the world of professional and social networks, trust has to be created by connecting people through trusted relationship models. For example, a “mentorship” model is quite a trusted framework for network interaction within SiliconIndia.com, or, LinkedIn has developed “Recommendations” on user profiles helping build trusted environments.

News, Publishing, Networks will converge

We believe that Social and professional networks of tomorrow will continue to provide greater context to its members by combining domain specific news, content and online networks. The context will enable members to engage around areas of mutual interest. Generic network platforms of today (like Facebook and Orkut) will lead to next generation specialized networks which are deeper in domain and are bringing deeper content and context to our members, thereby offering clear differentiation.

Geography will play a greater role in Networks

Geographic communities are important, and bring together best of both worlds – the power of the virtual connections with the opportunity of meeting people in the physical world. Our current generation networks are purely virtual and often ignore geography as a consideration. We envision as a next generation media network to leverage geographical communities to supplement global connections.

Editorial control versus free choice

We are increasingly drowning in information on the Internet. Networks are getting larger; more content is available and is growing rather exponentially. As a future network we have developed techniques to create community driven “editorial control” on how information or application is presented to our members. This model will extend across online networks into other areas of content and applications. The goal is that “relevant”, editorially short listed content and applications shows first, before we get deluged with information overload.

That’s where an essence of building a professional network like SiliconIndia arrives from.