‘Digital in India’ a report by the Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI)

For the first time, India has more internet users in rural areas. Last November, there were 227 million internet users active in rural areas, which is 10% more than about 205 million in urban areas.

In total, India had 504 million active Internet users, the report showed that in rural India, the number of people who actively access the Internet daily has increased by 30 million since March last year. However, the time spent on the Internet is more in urban areas of India than in rural areas.

Nearly 70% of active Internet users in India are daily users, where nine out of 10 in urban India access it at least once a week. The accessibility of affordable devices and inexpensive data plans has greatly boosted the growth of Indian Internet users. In addition, the preferred device for accessing the Internet was mobile in urban and rural areas.

The report also adds that about a third of users access the Internet for more than an hour on Sundays and public holidays compared to a normal weekday. Another highlight of the report is that the increase in the number of female Internet users (26 million) was greater than that of male Internet users. This was a 21% increase, which is much higher than the 9% increase in male Internet users.

Among the states, Delhi has the highest Internet penetration, while Kerala is second, while Delhi retains first place in terms of penetration, at city level, Mumbai has the highest number of Internet users with around 13 million, Delhi is in second place with 11.3 million. Bengaluru ranks third with around 6.6 million users, while Kolkata (6.3 million) and Chennai (6 million) complete the top 5 cities in terms or number of users. (All figures indicate active Internet users over the age of 12).

Significantly, Eastern states as a whole experienced a 24% increase in the Internet population in November 2019 compared to March 2019. Jharkhand and Bihar experienced a 48% and 36% increase in the Internet population . respectively, which is higher than in any other Indian state. Overall, eastern states have historically had comparatively lower levels of Internet penetration, and the new momentum should help this region catch up with the rest of the country.

In terms of demographic data on age, two thirds of Internet users in India belong to the age group 12-29 years and this age group corresponds to more than 70% of Internet users in the areas rural. The ratio of 12-29 year olds and 30 year olds is around 50:50 in Mumbai and Chennai,

India has a total of 504 million active Internet users accessed the Internet in the past month, aged five years or more in November 2019. Of the total, 433 million belong to the age group 12 years of age or older, and 71 million In the age group of 5 to 11 years, those who access the Internet on the devices of family members.

Almost 70% of the Internet workforce in India are daily users. Nine out of 10 Internet users in urban India access the Internet at least once a week. In rural India, 30 million new users accessed the Internet daily, compared to March 2019, nearly a third of users accessed the Internet for “more than an hour” on Sundays and holidays compared to one day normal work.

About 26 million new Internet users were added in November 2019, an increase of 21% compared to a 9% increase in male users. Mobile continues to be the device of choice for accessing the Internet in urban and rural areas. Given the affordability of mobile devices and the availability of cheaper data plans, accessing the Internet via a mobile device has become the first choice, the report said.

The Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) is not-for-profit industry body registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. Its mandate is to expand and enhance the online and mobile value added services sectors. It is dedicated to presenting a unified voice of the businesses it represents to the government, investors, consumers and other stakeholders.