Internet In The Great Indian Story
India now has over 49-million internet users in the country according to this article in the Economic Times. No surprise that at 40 million, urban users account for a bulk of it, with rural net users making up the other 9 million. Regular net users, defined as anyone accessing the net at least once a month, number around 35 million (30-million urban and 5-million rural).
However, Internet World Stats puts the number of Internet subscribers in India at 42 million in 2007, while a December 3, 2007 IAMAI release has put the number at 46 million.
Back to JuxtConsult’s India Online 2008 – an offline survey of over 12,500 households across 40 cities and 160 villages countrywide however, Internet penetration (as % of population) has crossed double-digit mark in urban India at 12%, up 3% from 9% last year, and rural penetration stands at 4.5%.
Other highlights:
- Every one in 10 urban Indians (12%) is now net connected. The number of urban netizens has increased by 33% in the last one year, from 30 million to 40 million. 75% (30 million) of these are regular urban users while rest, 25% (10-million), are occasional users.
- Over two-thirds (70%) of all internet users reside outside metros
- SEC C, D and E in urban areas now account for around half of all users
- Over 70% internet users prefer to access the net in Indian languages, with English users at just 28%, down from 41% in 2007.
- A majority, over three-fourths (77%) users, are between 19-35 years of age, up 10% from 2007.
- Overall, women account for less than a fifth, just 17.6%, of the 49-million odd Indian netizens, with urban women marginally higher at 18.2%
- Over half of all net users (51%) in the country are salaried employees in the corporate world. Wonder what implications this has for where the net users access the Internet from.
- South India contributes the largest share of internet users at 33%, with East under-represented at just 15%.
- Although for 44-million users (91%) emailing is still the most popular online activity. Faith in internet shopping is strengthening gradually, and a good 80% of regular online Indians are now buying through the net.
Related posts:
- Banks & Entrepreneurship in the Great India Story
- Of 45.3 Mln Active Indian Internet Users, 47% Don’t See Use
- Nokia Gears Up For The Indian Rural Markets
- Internet Telephony Gaining Ground In India
- Active Online Rural Indians Estimate 3.3 Million. What Next?
Filed under: Digital culture, India, News, Statistics
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