Internet users in India
India, with a population of 1.40 billion, is the second-largest country in the world and is projected to have 900 million active internet users by 2025, up from 622 million in 2020. This represents a growth of about 45 percent over five years, according to the IAMAI Kantar ICUBE 2020 Report. The Internet and Mobile Association of India’s report indicates there were 821 million internet users in India in 2023. At the start of 2024, India’s internet penetration rate was 58.0 percent of the total population. Notably, rural India had 442 million active internet users last year, surpassing urban India’s 378 million users.
Internet Users in India
| Total Internet Users | 821 million |
| Rural | 442 Million |
| Urban | 378 million |
| Average usage per day | 1.5 hours |
Internet Usage Distribution Across Different Categories of Online Services
| Internet Usage | Percent |
| OTT Services | 86% |
| Communication | 76% |
| Social Media | 70% |
| Gaming | 53% |
Preferred payment method for Online Shopping
| Payment method | Percent |
| Cash on Delivery | 26% |
| Digital Payment | 71% |
Sources: Internet and Mobile Association of India
Statewise Internet uses in India
According to the NFHS report, India had 626 million internet users in January 2022. Among the larger states, Kerala had the highest percentage of internet users, followed by Punjab and Haryana. In smaller states and Union Territories, Chandigarh had the highest percentage of internet users, followed by Goa and Sikkim.
Internet use among adult women (15 years and above) stood at 33.9%, while for adult men (15 years and above), it was 57.1%. The report indicates that although internet penetration in urban areas is twice as high as in rural areas, the growth rate of internet users in rural areas has been faster on a year-on-year basis.
In urban India, 51.8% of women and 72.5% of men are internet users. The northeastern states, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Goa, Delhi, and Punjab have the highest percentage of internet users in urban areas.
In Rural India, 24.6% of women and 48.7% of men are Interner users. Delhi, Kerala, Punjab, Himachal, Haryana, and NE states have the highest percentage of Internet users in Rural India.
List of Internet users by Indian States and Union Territories
| # | States and UTs | Women User (%) | Men User (%) |
| 1 | Andaman & Nicobar | 34.8 | 46.5 |
| 2 | Andhra Pradesh | 21 | 48.8 |
| 3 | Arunachal | 52.9 | 71.6 |
| 4 | Assam | 28.2 | 42.3 |
| 5 | Bihar | 20.6 | 43.6 |
| 6 | Chandigarh | 75.2 | 91.9 |
| 7 | Chhattisgarh | 26.7 | 56.3 |
| 8 | Dadra and Daman | 36.7 | 68.3 |
| 9 | Goa | 73.7 | 82.9 |
| 10 | Gujarat | 30.8 | 58.9 |
| 11 | Haryana | 48.4 | 72.4 |
| 12 | Himachal Pradesh | 49.7 | 67.9 |
| 13 | Jammu & Kashmir | 43.3 | 72 |
| 14 | Jharkhand | 31.4 | 58 |
| 15 | Karnataka | 35 | 62.4 |
| 16 | Kerala | 61.1 | 76.1 |
| 17 | Ladakh | 56.4 | 67.8 |
| 18 | Lakshadweep | 56.4 | 80.3 |
| 19 | Madhya Pradesh | 26.9 | 55.7 |
| 20 | Maharashtra | 38 | 61.5 |
| 21 | Manipur | 44.8 | 73.9 |
| 22 | Meghalaya | 34.7 | 42.1 |
| 23 | Mizoram | 67.6 | 79.7 |
| 24 | Nagaland | 49.9 | 64.6 |
| 25 | NCT Delhi | 63.8 | 85.2 |
| 26 | Odisha | 24.9 | 50.7 |
| 27 | Puducherry | 61.9 | 80.7 |
| 28 | Punjab | 54.8 | 78.2 |
| 29 | Rajasthan | 36.9 | 65.2 |
| 30 | Sikkim | 76.7 | 78.2 |
| 31 | Tamil Nadu | 46.9 | 70.2 |
| 32 | Telangana | 26.5 | 57.4 |
| 33 | Tripura | 22.9 | 45.7 |
| 34 | Uttar Pradesh | 30.6 | 59.1 |
| 35 | Uttarakhand | 45.1 | 74.6 |
| 36 | West Bengal | 25.5 | 46.7 |
| India | 33.3 | 57.1 |
Source: NFHS (National Family Health Survey-5)