India's internet users to exceed 900 mn in 2025, driven by Indic languages

The internet user base in India is set to cross 900 million this year, propelled by the growing use of Indic languages for digital content, according to a report by IAMAI and KANTAR.

The 'Internet in India Report 2024,' reveals that the number of active internet users in India reached 886 million in 2024, a robust 8 per cent year-on-year growth.

"The internet user base in India is set to surpass 900 million by 2025, driven by the growing use of Indic languages for digital content," according to the report.

Rural India, with 488 million users, leads this growth and now accounts for 55 per cent of the total internet population.

The report underpins the increasing role of Indic languages in shaping internet consumption patterns.

Nearly all internet users (98 per cent) accessed content in Indic languages, with Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam emerging as the most popular due to their extensive availability.

Over half (about 57 per cent) of urban internet users prefer consuming content in regional languages, underscoring the growing demand for local language content across platforms.

The report highlights that the digital gender gap in India is steadily narrowing, with 47 per cent of all internet users in the country being women, so far the highest.

Female internet users now form a significant portion of shared device users in rural India at about 58 per cent. This marks substantial progress in making digital access more inclusive and equitable over the years, the report said.

While internet penetration continues to grow, the pace has moderated, especially in urban areas, compared to the exponential growth seen in previous years. Rural India, however, continues to witness double the growth rate of urban regions, reflecting the untapped potential in these areas.

Urban India leads in the adoption of non-traditional devices such as smart TVs and smart speakers, which have grown by 54 per cent between 2023 and 2024.

Concurrently, mobile devices remain the primary means of accessing the internet across both urban and rural demographics.

Rural India dominates online engagement for top activities, including OTT video and music streaming, online communication, and social media usage, outpacing urban users in these categories. Conversely, activities like net commerce, digital payments, and online education are still more prevalent among urban populations.