India's internet growth continues to decline due to fall in smartphone sale

For millions of Indians, a smartphone is the first port of entry into the internet

India’s internet growth continues to plummet.

From double-digit growth rates through 2016 to 2020, it slumped to about 4 per cent in 2021 and 2022, according to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India data. In the first quarter of 2023 it grew just 1.7 per cent over the last quarter of 2022.

The continuing fall in the sales of entry- and mid-level smartphone remains the biggest reason. Going by the International Data Corporation (IDC), in 2022 smartphone sales fell by a massive 10 per cent over 2021. This year, the drop has been in low single digits. India is now roughly