India to have 24 million rural internet users by December 2011: Study

According to a research jointly conducted by Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and IMRB, the total number of active internet users in rural India is projected to rise by 98 per cent and touch 24 million by December 2011 as compared to 12.1 million in December 2010. Claimed internet user category is also set to grow by 96 per cent to reach 29.9 million by December 2011 from 15.2 million in December 2010. The results are based upon a primary research survey that interviewed about 15,000 people from various age groups, across SECs and genders from the states of Assam, Maharashtra, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. 

“One of the main reasons for this growth in user numbers in rural areas is the growing awareness level about internet. According to the research, about 69 per cent of the rural population is aware of internet as opposed to 16 per cent projected in last year’s report. The second reason for the growth of rural internet users is that access has become easier. Only 18 per cent have had to access internet from Common Service Centers (CSCs) located outside the 10 km radius as opposed to 54 per cent last year,” the research said. 

India to have 237 million internet users by 2015: Report

The number of internet users in India is expected to triple in the next five years, from the current 81 million to 237 million by 2015, according to a report by Boston Consulting Group. The report further states that many Indians will first go online from a phone, not from a computer, even though right now only 1 per cent of mobile phone users are using the internet.

India is going to be different than what we have seen in mature markets but also in emerging markets. It is going to be predominantly a mobile experience, Arvind Subramanian, managing director, BCG Mumbai and one of the authors of the report, has said. The traditional internet in its current form would be largely inaccessible even if it were to be available.

According to Arvind Subramanian, Indians are likely to take to services that enhance personal productivity, such as job alerts or continuing education. About 73 per cent of people who go online in India spend time job hunting, the research showed. The other thing that is big there is matrimonial which is a very unique Indian thing, Subramanian has added.

India ranks third largest in internet market

New Delhi: In the year 2009 Forrester Research has predicted in its survey that India will have the third largest online population by 2013. India has just stepped in 2011 and has already been declared as the third largest internet market by Google. Besides it is also the fifth online video market worldwide. 

While delivering a significant presentation titled "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" on the first day of Ad:Tech New Delhi, the MD and Vice President, sales and operations of Google, Rajan Anandan revealed that, India has 100 million unique internet users spending 16 hours a week online. Google recorded 20 times growth in search queries coming from India over the last 5 years.

Out of the 100 million users, 40 million access from office and the rest 30 million access from cyber cafes and 30 million access internet from home.

In the technology sector, 72 out of 100 people make use of search queries. 30 percent of the entire air travel booking in India is done online. 54 percent travel searches are meant for hotels. 

He added that that more videos were uploaded in the last two months compared to the content produced by the largest TV network of U.S. in the last 72 years. 

Potential online video advertising market in India is estimated at Rs 600 million. Video streams originating from India is doubling year-on-year. There has been sudden shift of audience from TV towards online viewing of videos.