Rural India extends lead in internet usage: IAMAI-Kantar

The gap between the number of internet users in rural and urban India has grown, with rural areas adopting the internet at a faster pace, according a report by IAMAI and market research firm Kantar.

According to the “Internet in India 2024” report—published by Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and Kantar—rural India surpassed urban India in internet user numbers in 2021 and has been steadily widening the gap ever since. Of the 886 million total internet users in India in 2024, over 55% (488 million) were from rural areas, compared to 53.8% in 2023.