With technology spreading its wings far and wide, the number of Internet users worldwide are on a steady increase.
Buoyed by the tech boom, India too has seen a surge in Internet users over the past few years. Come Dec. 2015, the country is poised to boast 402 million users, displacing the U.S. from the second spot in the process. China currently takes the top spot, accounting for over 600 million Internet subscribers
As stated in a study by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and IMRB International, in a month's time, India's Internet user base will reach 402 million - a phenomenal growth of 49 percent when compared to the same period in 2014.
In the first six months of 2015, India's Internet user base grew to 354 million. By comparison, in end of 2014, it was 302 million, reflecting a 17 percent growth in this period.
"While Internet in India took more than a decade to move from 10 million to 100 million and 3 years from 100 to 200 million, it took only a year to move from 300 to 400 million users. Clearly, Internet is mainstream in India today," the report said.
Out of the 402 million people, 306 million Internet users access data service via their phone. This number is an increase from the 276 million users in Oct. 2015.
According to the IAMAI study, the Internet user base in India is estimated to see a further growth to 462 million by June next year. This growth is largely responsible to Internet becoming mainstream in the country.
Per Nilotpal Chakravarti, the AVP of IAMAI, this growth in user number is good news for the tech industry as it is reflective of the development in the mass base.
With awareness of Internet, e-commerce and online benefits on the rise, growth potential for digital industries is immense. Moreover, per Chakravarti with the Internet user base anticipated to touch over 500 million in 2016, e-commerce is poised to benefit further.
Photo: Johan Larsson | Flickr
