Mumbai: Facebook launched Facebook Stories, an initiative dedicated to showcasing the connections made and stories shared by the people who are using the service every day. Facebook Stories was announced by Mark Zuckerberg in a video addressed to users worldwide.

To inaugurate Facebook Stories in India, award-winning producer A. R. Rahman shared his personal story about how Facebook has enabled him to connect with his fans. "Facebook has really made it so easy for artists to connect with their fans – making them part of our daily lives," wrote Rahman on stories.facebook.com. "To me, that’s one of the best ways I can show my fans how grateful I am for their support."

Blockbuster actress Deepika Padukone also shared the impact Facebook has made on her life. "In the networking world Facebook literally provides a FACE to one’s identity in the world wide web," she wrote. "It gives me semblance of being grounded by allowing me to be constantly in touch with my friends and family and people whom I love and cherish!"

“What matters are all of the stories we hear from you about the impact your connections have on your lives," said Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Beginning today, Facebook users can submit their stories about how Facebook has played a role in their lives to stories.facebook.com. Stories submitted to the application can be browsed by theme, such as "Family" and "Sports", or sorted by geography. The Application will also surface "Most Popular" stories based on the number of "Likes" a story receives.

To share your own story, go to http://stories.facebook.com/, login with your Facebook credentials and find the "What’s your story?" Prompt at the bottom of the page. Stories submitted will appear in the Facebook Stories application for others to read, "Like", and reflect upon.