BENGALURU: India’s rural areas account for the majority of internet users.
A study by the Internet and Mobile Association of India and marketing data and analytics firm Kantar revealed that rural India had 442 million active internet users last year, outnumbering urban India’s 378 million users.
India has 821 million internet users in 2023 as opposed to 759 million the previous year. In the past year, there has been a 78% increase in rural India’s use of shared devices for internet connection, compared to urban India.
According to the research, 90% of internet users use it every day and log on for 1.5 hours on average. Certain activities, including OTT, communication, social media, and online gaming, are more democratized than others, such as e-commerce, digital payments, and online learning. Just 26% of Indians utilize cash on delivery when they purchase online; the majority prefer digital payment methods. Almost 71% of Indians who utilize digital payments reside in cities.
The research, called the most thorough assessment of internet usage in India, surveyed over 90,000 homes across all states and union territories, according to Harsh Jain, chairman of IAMAI and co-founder of Dream Sports. The proliferation of non-traditional gadgets (smart TVs, smart speakers, fire sticks, and Chromecast) has been a major factor in the increase of digital entertainment services. Between 2021 and 2023, these devices grew by 58% nationwide. Adoption is being propelled by a new wave of first-time users; 208 million more individuals consume video material on internet-only devices than on traditional TV (181 million).
Across all online activities, the use of the internet in Indian languages is growing. In urban India, 57% of internet users choose to access internet material in Indian languages.
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