China leads globally with 600 million users.
By Raif Karerat
By next month India will have the second-largest largest online user base in the world, leapfrogging the United States to settle in behind China, the undisputed leader with more than 600 million active web users.
The number of Internet users in India is projected to grow to 402 million by the end of 2015, up 50 percent compared to last year, according to the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and IMRB International consultancy firm.
While Internet in India took more than a decade to move from 10 million to 100 million and three years from 100 to 200 million, it took only a year to move from 300 to 400 million users, blowing the statistical curve right out of the water.
“Clearly, Internet is mainstream in India today,” said IAMAI in a statement. “The large internet users base is definitely a good news for the overall growth of the digital industry, e-commerce and internet startups,” it continued.
Among Internet users in India, 71 percent are men and 29 percent are women, with Internet usage for both genders growing at a rate of 50 percent and 46 percent, respectively.
Falling smartphone prices in India explain most of the rise in Internet adoption, according to the Wall Street Journal. As a result, 94 percent of Indian internet users said their cell phone is their primary means to access the web.
Furthermore, of the 11 million Indians that the report says will access the Internet for the first time in the next year, two-thirds will do so with a cell phone.