India has experienced a remarkable growth in internet usage over the past decade. We have in our country world’s second largest internetusers base. A joint report by Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), a not-for-profit industry body and Kantar, a London based marketdata analytics fi rm revealed that in 2022, the number of internet users in India was approximately 759 million, representing a penetration rate of around 52%. While this is a substantial fi gure, there is still considerable room for growth, considering India’s large population.The total number of Indians accessing the internet at least once a month is expected to grow to 900 million by 2025, as per the report.In comparison to the previous year, urban areas witnessed only 6% growth in internet usage,while rural India witnessed 14% growth rate. It is assessed that by 2025, almost 56% of internet users will be from rural areas in India. Internet inclusivity and the economic divide are closely linked, asaccess to the internet can signifi cantly impact economic opportunities and disparities and vice versa.Bihar for instance has only 32% of its population accessing internet while more than 70% of Goans have access to internet. Interestingly, the genderdivide with regards to internet inclusivity is narrowing in India. Trends suggest that by 2025, 65% of all new internet users will be women.There are several reasons which have contributed to this phenomenal growth in internet usage in a developing country like India.Mobile Internet: Mobile devices, particularly smartphones, have been instrumental in driving internet adoption in India. With affordable smartphones and affordable data plans, mobile internet has become the primary means of accessing the internet for many Indians. Mobile internet users constitute a substantial portion of the overall internet user base in India.Rural Internet Adoption: While urban areas have seen signifi cant internet penetration, there has been a no ..
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