Online Users in India and Their User Behavior
India has witnessed an increase in the number of internet users. The behavior pattern of internet users can be ascertained with respect to different parameters, which include: users in metros, cities and rural areas, age group of population accessing internet, and purposes of accessing internet.
The surge in internet usage in small towns and rural India has been more than that in big cities and metros. In India, the youth drive internet usage. School and college going students along with young men contribute to 72% of internet activity. (Source IAMA Report – 2008-2009)
People use internet for various purposes, which include: email, information search, academic information search, music/video on internet, chatting, online job search, gaming, financial information search, booking railway tickets, online news, internet telephony/video chat/voice chat, and online banking.
Top ten sites viewed by Indians during 2009 include:
- google.co.in
- google.com
- yahoo.com
- facebook.com
- blogger.com
- youtube.com
- orkut.co.in
- rediff.com
- wikipedia.org
- orkut.com
Indians, being cautious buyers start online shopping with the purchase of railway or airline tickets. This is perceived as a safe bet due to uniformity of services to the buyers.
Reasons for Growth in Online Users in India
- It is predicted that by year 2015, around 65% of Indian population will be in the age group of 15-35 years. Since youth is an early adaptor of all technology, this seems to be a positive factor for the Indian eCommerce market.
- India has an added advantage of lowest broadband prices in the world, which is $4-$5 per month. This enhances the potential of online transactions.
- Indian population has better adopted mobile phones as compared to internet. Thus, there is a huge potential of mCommerce in India. Mobile phones provide flexibility to users to connect to internet without having to find a place to plug in into the internet. The mobile penetration in India is expected to become 1 billion by 2014, which will further enhance the opportunities of mCommerce. Currently, there are about 440 million subscribers for mobile phones, which covers around 40% of the country’s population.
- India has already started the efforts to provide biometric identity to all its citizens. This is equivalent to Social Security Number in the West. Having this unique identity in place, online financial transactions would become much safer as they can be easily tracked and subject to law.
For more detailed information on the eCommerce industry in India, visit: http://www.india-reports.com/summary/ecommerce_in_india.aspx. India Reports provides analysis, reports, PPTs and statistics on India. India Reports also provides clients with custom-made reports to meet specific needs.
