Social media users in India breaches 60 million mark

New Delhi, March 12: In the age of 2G and 3G the country has seen a remarkable growth of social media. By current usage it is estimated to reach four times the population of Delhi or more than the population of Karnataka.

"The number of social media users in urban India reached 62 million by December 2012 and it is estimated to reach 66 million by June 2013," a report on social media in India by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and Indian Market Research Bureau (IMRB) said.

This sudden spurt in social media users in urban India is due to the availability of affordable smartphones and consequent mobile Internet use.

The report said about 74 per cent of all active Internet users in urban India use social media. It ranks after email (80 per cent) in terms of usage.

With such a urban audience, most businesses are venturing into social media.

"The growth in the number of social networking users can be attributed to the rising Internet penetration in India, through increasing affordability of smartphones and consequent mobile Internet use," the report said.

As per the findings, of the 80 million active Internet users in Urban India, 72 per cent (58 million individuals) have accessed some form of social networking.

"They may have accessed social media using a personal computer, laptop or even a mobile device, as the illustration suggests," it added.

"Essentially, social networking often serves to be among the first Internet uses of Internet in India, besides the usual reasons like email, music and gaming," it said.

Facebook is the most accessed website with 97 per cent of all individuals using it followed by Google+ and LinkedIn. However, LinkedIn has the highest proportion among women and users above 25 years. In fact, LinkedIn has the second highest average time spent only after Facebook.

"The average time spent by Indian netizens was 29.6 minutes on weekdays as compared to 28.8 minutes on weekend days," the report added.

Using social media people are building virtual communities and pressure groups. Many parents have formed groups to keep in touch with their wards and schools. The social media potential is vast and ready to explore, and explode.

OneIndia news