India’s active internet users reach 958 million in 2025, led by rural adoption, AI engagement, and short-video consumption, according to IAMAI-KANTAR report.

Bengaluru: India’s internet user base surpassed 950 million in 2025, driven by rapid growth in rural connectivity, rising consumption of short-video content, and increasing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), according to a report released by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) on Thursday.

The report revealed that rural India now accounts for 57% of the country’s active internet users, amounting to roughly 548 million users.

The ‘Internet in India Report 2025,’ jointly prepared by IAMAI and KANTAR, was presented at the India Digital Summit in the presence of Manjula N, Secretary to the Government of Karnataka, Department of Electronics, IT/BT and Science & Technology.

According to the findings, India now has 958 million Active Internet Users (AIU), reflecting an approximate 8% year-on-year growth and reinforcing the country’s position as one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing digital markets.

Also read : UGC 2026 Regulations on Hold: Supreme Court Highlights Caste Discrimination Concerns

The report highlighted that 44% of users have interacted with AI-enabled features, including voice search, image-based search, chatbots, and AI filters. Usage is most prevalent among younger audiences, with 57% of users aged 15–24 and 52% of users aged 25–44 reporting engagement with AI tools in the past year.

Rural India continues to lead the expansion of digital adoption, growing nearly four times faster than urban areas. In 2025, rural users now represent over 57% of India’s active internet population, marking a structural shift in the country’s digital landscape.

Short-video consumption emerged as a major growth driver, with 588 million users (61% of all internet users) engaging with short-video content in 2025. Rural users slightly outnumbered urban users, and the trend is particularly strong among younger audiences, reinforcing their role as key drivers of digital engagement.

The report also pointed out that quick commerce and social commerce are transforming online shopping habits. Among urban users, 230 million (56% of the urban internet population) shopped online in the past year, complementing traditional e-commerce marketplaces.

Multi-device usage is on the rise as well. India now has 193 million multi-device internet users—20% of all active users—up from 165 million in 2024. Urban adoption stands at 31%, while rural areas are catching up at 12%. Shared devices remain an important enabler of internet access, with 18% of users going online via someone else’s mobile device, and nearly 80% of these shared users are based in rural areas.

Despite these gains, the report noted that 38% of India’s population—around 579 million people—remain non-active internet users. However, this share has been steadily decreasing, indicating significant potential for further expansion of India’s digital economy.

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