India’s New Internet Frontier

India is embarking on a new frontier as a digital revolution is sweeping across the country, seeking to provide internet access to half of the country. More than 50 percent of India’s population only recently received access to electricity due to its massive population, rural areas, and lack of modern infrastructure preventing India’s expansion in the modern world. The lack of electricity and internet has seriously impeded the country’s economic growth, but its global market is rapidly changing and will likely become one of the world’s largest consumer nations in the next five years. 

Over half of the world’s population is on the internet, leaving about 3.5 billion people without access and more than a third in India. India is restricted because significant portions of its geography are extremely rural, off the grid, and virtually stagnant in regards to modern data access. Foreign investments, outside funding, and young people's popularity have become catalysts for India’s rapid internet revolution. Silicon Valley businesses in the United States like Google and Facebook have begun funding digital infrastructure development across India. The inundation of wifi services, hotspots, and digital literacy programs are some of the investments large American businesses have contributed to India. Initial projects have supplied free wifi services at major train stations and initiatives to provide low-cost broadband to large percentages of the unconnected population. 

A major ignition to India’s rapid growth was the COVID-19 pandemic which saw the world relying on internet services more than ever before. Global shutdowns substantially boosted consumer use of services, increasing from 21 percent of households in 2017 to 61 percent during 2021. Internet access became a necessity as the world shifted toward remote learning, e-commerce, and communications. Other plights increasing India’s transition to a digital economy are the attraction from young consumer demographics under 30. In fact, most Indian internet consumers fall within that age bracket in both rural and urban areas. 

There is a massive gender gap in the percentage of young users, as women in most rural areas lack opportunities to utilize any digital means. These gender gaps are consistent in rural and urban regions however, low-cost options and literacy programs specifically designed for these women are slowly decreasing the gaps. The digital access rapidly changing India’s markets and daily life must overcome these divides to embrace its digital era fully. 

Future growth will require further systematic and societal developments to inspire needed implementations of a digital India. India's number of active users is expected to continue increasing more than 45 percent within the next five years, providing access to approximately 900 million people and changing global connectivity forever.