India’s internet user base is projected to surpass 900 million by 2025, fueled by the increasing use of Indic languages for digital content, according to a report released on Thursday.
The number of active internet users in India reached 886 million in 2024, reflecting a robust 8 percent year-on-year growth. Rural India, with 488 million users, has been the primary driver of this growth and now accounts for 55 percent of the country’s total internet population, the report by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and Kantar revealed.
Nearly all internet users (98 percent) accessed content in Indic languages, with Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam emerging as the most popular due to their extensive availability.
In urban areas, 57 percent of internet users prefer consuming content in regional languages, highlighting the rising demand for local language content across platforms.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force over the past year, with nine out of 10 internet users interacting with apps featuring embedded AI capabilities.
“The widespread acceptance and enthusiasm surrounding AI should encourage digital companies to introduce more next-generation AI features in India,” said Biswapriya Bhattacharya, Director, B2B and Technology, Kantar Insights–South Asia.
The report also highlighted progress in closing the digital gender gap in India. Women now make up 47 percent of the country’s internet user base — the highest so far. Notably, female internet users constitute 58 percent of shared device users in rural India, marking significant progress in making digital access more inclusive and equitable over the years.
Rural India also leads in online engagement for top activities such as OTT video and music streaming, online communication, and social media usage, outpacing urban users in these categories.
Meanwhile, urban India has seen significant growth in the adoption of non-traditional devices such as smart TVs and smart speakers, which increased by 54 percent between 2023 and 2024.
Despite this, mobile devices remain the primary means of internet access across both urban and rural demographics, the report noted.
(Inputs from IANS)
