Social networking site Orkut has revamped its look and added a host of new

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features as it tries to regain ground from one of its toughest competitor Facebook.

Google, which owns Orkut, said the new look has a user interface, or homepage, which is faster and easier to use.

"With the new user interface (UI), the user does not have to visit each page for viewing videos, or say posting scraps. He gets to see all updates and respond to his friends from the homepage itself," Google India Head (Products) Vinay Goel today said.

It also allows faster uploading of photos and has features like video chat, automatic face detection and a scroll down menu for viewing all friends on the same page.

"We have about 80-100 million users globally and India is the second leading market for Orkut after Brazil. India is a crucial market and we would continue to drive innovation for all our products," Goel said.

The new version would be initially available through invitation only but after a few weeks would be made available to all users. Companies, mainly in the FMCG, automobile, consumer durables and telecom space, are actively using social networking sites to connect with the youth.