Rural India to drive Internet usage in the country: Report - ETtech

Illustration: Rahul Awasthi Rural India is expected to have 304 million monthly active internet users by year-end, market research company Kantar said in a report shared exclusively with ET.If one uses the internet at least once in 30 days, he or she is tagged as a monthly active user in industry parlance. The report – titled ICUBE – was based on a survey of about 75,000 respondents across 390 cities and about 1,300 villages between May and August last year. The report pointed out that local language and video have been the key drivers for the growth of internet in rural areas. Even though we are not expecting users to buy new devices or mobile phones at the moment, a few months later we will likely see a spike in demand,” said Biswapriya Bhattacharjee, executive vice president - insights division, Kantar. Over-the-top platforms, hyperlocal services, social media , communication and online payments will be key elements that will drive the impact, he added. “Although entertainment and communication remain the major drivers for internet consumption, we are seeing new use cases such as online sellers , agritech ,” Bhattacharjee said. “Video, Voice and Vernacular will drive higher engagement and frequency of usage, thereby, helping the users mature in their internet journey,” the report cited. Further, content has been a key driver as nine out of 10 users accessed the internet daily for entertainment and communication, the report added. Work from home culture, media consumption, including digital payments and other indoor services will inevitably see a spike as user behaviour is bound to change post Covid-19,” said Vivek Bhargava, CEO of DAN Performance Group, Dentsu Aegis Network, which tracks digital use. Amid the outbreak, services like online gaming, ed-tech and groceries have already seen unprecedented demand, which is likely to continue due to lockdowns and social distancing measures, experts said.