India’s internet users near one billion in 2025, rural India leads growth: IAMAI

New Delhi: India’s internet user base crossed 950 million in 2025, driven largely by expanding rural connectivity, increased short-video consumption and wider adoption of artificial intelligence, according to a report released by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) on Thursday.

The report found that rural India now accounts for 57% of the country’s active internet users, or around 548 million people, underlining a continued shift in the geography of digital adoption.

The Internet in India Report 2025, jointly prepared by IAMAI and Kantar, was released at the India Digital Summit in Bengaluru in the presence of Manjula N, Secretary to the Government, Department of Electronics, IT-BT and Science & Technology, Government of Karnataka.

According to the report, India has 958 million Active Internet Users (AIU), reflecting around 8% year-on-year growth and reinforcing its position among the world’s largest digital markets.

“This growth of internet users continues to be led decisively by rural India, which is now home to approximately 548 million active internet users,” the report said.

It added that rural regions are growing at nearly four times the pace of urban India, signalling a structural shift in how and where internet adoption is expanding.

The report also highlighted growing engagement with artificial intelligence, noting that 44% of users have used AI-enabled features such as voice search, image-based search, chatbots and AI filters.

“Usage is highest among younger audiences, with 57% of users aged 15–24 years and 52% of those aged 25–44 years reporting AI usage in the past year,” it said.

Short-video consumption emerged as a key driver of overall internet usage. In 2025, 588 million users, or 61% of India’s internet population, consumed short-video content, with rural users marginally outnumbering urban users. Adoption was strongest among younger audiences.

Citing the report, IAMAI said that quick commerce is reshaping how Indians shop online, with social commerce also gaining ground as digital commerce expands beyond traditional marketplaces.

Among urban users, 230 million people, 56% of the urban active internet base, shopped online in the past year, with quick commerce and social commerce growing alongside established platforms.

The report also pointed to rising multi-device usage. India now has 193 million multi-device internet users, accounting for 20% of all active users, up from 165 million in 2024.

“Urban adoption stands at 31%, while rural India is catching up at 12%. Shared device usage continues to be a key enabler of digital access: 18% of internet users go online through someone else’s mobile device, and nearly 80% of these users are based in rural areas,” the report stated.

Despite this growth, 38% of India’s population, around 579 million people, remains non-active internet users.

“However, this proportion has been steadily declining year after year, signalling substantial headroom for the continued expansion of India’s digital economy,” the report said.

The 2025 edition of the report is based on a sample of nearly 100,000 consumers across more than 400 towns and over 1,000 villages across the country.