Bureau, 19 January 2025 – The number of internet users in India is set to exceed 900 million by 2025, according to a joint report by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and research organization Kantara. In 2024, the country's internet user base reached 886 million, growing at an annual rate of 8%. The majority of this growth is observed in rural areas, with rural internet users accounting for 488 million, while urban users stand at 397 million.
On average, Indian internet users spend about 90 minutes online daily, with urban users spending around 94 minutes and rural users 89 minutes. The gender gap in internet usage is also narrowing, with males making up 53% and females 47% of the internet user base.
Internet User Base to Cross 900 Million 41% of Indians Still Without Access
Kerala leads the country in internet penetration at 72%, followed by Goa at 71% and Maharashtra at 70%. On the other hand, states with the lowest internet penetration include Bihar (43%), Uttar Pradesh (46%), and Jharkhand (50%). Notably, 87 crore (98%) of internet users in India accessed the internet in Indian languages in 2024. In urban areas, 57% of users consumed content in regional languages. Popular languages include Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Gujarati, Telugu, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, and others.
Among the various uses of the internet, watching videos remains the most common activity, followed by listening to music, social networking, online shopping, and online searches. Additionally, one in five users accesses the internet through voice commands. Despite the progress, 41% of Indians still remain without access to the internet, mainly due to lack of awareness (25%), affordability issues (16%), and unavailability of content in regional languages (13%).
