49 million Internet users in India

Bangalore, May 29: India online is the annual syndicated research on Internet usage in India from JuxtConsult. The research offers insightful, comprehensive and up to date understanding of net usage behavior and online preferences of regular internet users. India Online 2008 understands online Indians as consumers and not just faceless net users.

It has been a year of healthy growth in the Indian online space.

- All internet users at 49 million – 40 million urban, 9 million rural

- 33 pc growth in all urban users over last year

- 35 million 'regular' users – 30 million urban, 5 million rural

- 19 pc growth in regular urban users over last year

- 25 million 'daily' users

'Regular' internet users (internationally accepted definition) = internet users who use the internet 'at least once a month'

Growth has been both in class and mass of online users in India. 77 pc of all online users belong to the 19 to 35 age group category, 70 pc of the total users belong to the SEC A, B and C towns, 51 pc users are salaried employees, 63 pc users own an automobile and English is the most preferred language of reading for only 28 pc of Internet users (indicates the potential for vernacular language content).

The internet dominates users daily lives

- Home is the 'most preferred place of access' for 41 pc of users.
- 9 out of 10 regular users access the internet from home (and office) daily
- Relatively more of them spend 2 hours or more daily on internet from home than on other mediums.
- Spend 2 hrs. or more on Internet 36 pc on weekdays
- Spend 2 hrs. or more watching TV 14 pc
- Spend 2 hrs. or more on reading paper 2 pc
- Spend 2 hrs. or more listen to Radio 10 pc

- 81 pc 'interact' using the social media platforms (all social media platform put together - chatting, social/professional networking, interact on communities, read/comment/write blogs etc.).

The top ten online activities undertaken by net users are:

On an average a net user undertakes over 15 activities online and 7 of the top 10 online activities fall in the 'personal life' domain.

Users of 'vernacular language' websites up at 34% from last year's 12 pc (though 28 pc prefer English as the language of reading only 34 pc are visiting vernacular websites regularly, indicating the lack of content online).

1 in 3 online shopper 'buys' online!

- 80 pc of all regular online Indians 'shop' online. They either search or buy online.
- 23 pc have actually bought online in last 6 months - 8 million active online buyers
- 92 pc of all online buyers (23 pc of internet users) have bought a travel product online, 51 pc have bought a non-travel product online
- 80 pc of travel product buyers have bought train tickets, 52 pc has bought air tickets in last six months
- Books, Clothes and CD/DVDs are the most bought non-travel products online (Mobiles and Computer Products most searched)

Google leads in both 'mind' share and 'user' share!

Most Popular Websites for Specific Online Activities

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