The World’s third largest telecommunications industry India will have over 900 million internet users by 2025. This humongous growth will be driven by ever-increasing user growth of digital content, a report prepared jointly by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and KANTAR states.
The report shares that India reached 886 million connected population in 2024 which was an 8% year-on-year growth. What’s equally interesting is that in the total figure, rural India dominates the growth with 488 million users and accounts for 55% of total internet-penetrated demography.
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900 million internet users in India fueled by Indic language
The report mentions that the growth of the internet-using population will owe much to the use of Indic languages. It’s stated that 98% of users consumed their internet content in various languages led by Indic, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam. Likewise, 57% of Indians preferred using the internet in regional languages. This fact emphatically manifests users’ preference for local languages for internet consumption.
At the same time, the growth in urban areas has remained moderate in comparison to the previous years. This is largely due to the expansion of connectivity in the previously underserved areas.
“AI has emerged as a significant game changer over the past year. Nine out of ten internet users have interacted with apps featuring embedded AI capabilities. The benefits of AI are no longer confined to a small segment of internet users. But extend across the entire user spectrum.
The widespread acceptance and enthusiasm surrounding AI should encourage digital companies to introduce more next-generation AI features in India. At the same time, it is crucial for these companies to ensure their solutions are both accurate and ethical,” said Biswapriya Bhattacharya, Director of B2B and Technology, Kantar Insights – South Asia.
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The digital gender gap shrinking
The same report also highlights that the digital gender gap is narrowing with 47% of internet users being women. Gender parity is achieved due to the availability of the internet and growing access to smartphones as well as financial feasibility across households.
Urban areas use more innovative devices such as smart TVs and speakers growing by 54% between 2023 and 2024.
On the other hand, rural India leads in online engagement including video-streaming apps and music streaming, online chats, social media usage, etc. E-commerce, digital payments, and online education are more in trend in urban areas. However, the report highlights that smartphones remain prominent driving internet growth in both affluent and rural areas.
The report “Internet in India” based on the ICUBE 2024 study covered 90,000 households across all the states and Union Territories of India except for Lakshadweep. It’s an acclaimed annual report that is one of the most comprehensive surveys in the country to derive the stats on internet usage in India.
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Jio, Airtel, BSNL, Vodafone India, etc. are some of the most prominent internet service providers in India. The ever-expanding 4G as well as the advent and continuous expansion of 5G has enriched internet accessibility in India which is likely to grow further in 2025 and beyond.
