With 886 million internet users by 2024 and rural India now driving the charge

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Key Trends and Growth Insights:

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1) User Surge and Rural Boom:

- Internet users grew from 574 million in 2019 to 886 million in 2024

- The rural user base now outnumbers the urban base with 488 million in rural India compared to 397 million in urban areas

2) Mobile-First Nation:

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- 96% of Indians access the internet on mobile

- Rural smartphone penetration jumped from 36% in 2018 to 74.8% in 2022, while urban penetration stands at 88 percent

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3) Regional Disparities:

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- Kerala - 82%,

- Delhi NCR - 80%,

- Goa - 78% lead adoption,

- while Bihar at 25% & UP at 30% lag behind

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4) Women on the Rise:

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- Women now make up 47% of internet users

- By 2025, 65% of new users will be women

- The gender gap in device ownership highlights a large untapped audience

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5) Age Matters:

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Two-thirds of users are between 12 & 29 years old, but rural users aged 44 & above are joining faster than their urban peers

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6) Content Habits:

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- Indians spend nearly five hours online every day

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- 70% of that time goes to entertainment & social media, with users:

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- WhatsApp at 536 million

- YouTube at 467 million

- Facebook at 378 million

- Instagram at 363 million

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7) Regional Language Content:

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- 98% of users consume digital content in Indic languages, & even 57% of urban users prefer regional content

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Ecosystem Shifts:

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- E-commerce remains largely urban-centric, but rural growth is strong & represents the next wave of consumer demand

- UPI processed 172 billion transactions in 2024, accounting for 70% of all digital payments & setting a global model for instant commerce

- Gaming, OTT platforms, & short-form video together take up 30% of internet time

- Education & social impact are spreading deeper into villages, catalyzed by affordable mobile data & smartphones

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The Next Billion

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Despite the progress

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- 44.7% of India, or 652 million people remain offline

- The divide is most visible among women, older adults, & low-income groups in rural areas

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Year-on-Year Momentum:

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Internet growth has slowed from 11% CAGR between 2019-2021 to 7 to 8% between 2022-24 as urban markets reach saturation

However, by 2027, India is projected to cross 1 billion internet users

Strategic Takeaways for Leaders and Brands:

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- Hyperlocal is the future

- Build for India’s towns and villages, invest in regional content, & rethink engagement for local languages

- Mobile is the default

- Content, commerce, & services must be optimised for smartphone-first behaviour

- Women & rural users are the growth engine

- Products and campaigns must be designed with their needs in mind

- Payments & commerce need to be simplified

- UPI & QR payments can enable scale

- For content creators, entertainment continues to dominate

- Short-form video, gaming, & social media are where users spend their time

- India’s digital revolution is not ending, It is evolving

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