Number of Internet Users in India to Reach 23.7 Crores by 2015

By | May 21, 2011

According to the Internet world stats 2010, there are 10 crore Internet users in India. In 1998 there were only 25,000 Internet users and 0.1% penetration and in 2010 the penetration increased to 8.5%. However, according to a report from BCG, it is estimated that Indian Internet users will reach to 23.7 crores from the current 10 crore by 2015. It is expected that with a low maturity and high growth market, the Internet penetration rate in India is to reach 19 percent by 2015.

The larger cities, where many Internet users are migrants from smaller towns, are the popular places for India’s Internet usage. However, this group tends to have had limited exposure to the Internet. Hence, it has a narrower range of online needs than more experienced users.

Indian Internet users spend only 30 minutes online each day, on average which is the lowest rate among all the BRICI (Brazil, Russia, India, China and Indonesia) countries. However, this average is estimated to increase to only 0.7 hour per day by 2015. Mobile phones which are cheaper than the PCs are the convenient tools for communication and entertainment. However, it is suggested to have a growth in usage of mobile users for Internet among rural areas.