India’s internet user base exceeded 950 million in 2025, driven by rural connectivity growth, short video consumption, and increased use of artificial intelligence, as per the ‘Internet in India Report 2025’ by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). The report highlighted that India now boasts approximately 958 million active internet users, marking an 8% year-on-year increase. This positions India as one of the largest and fastest-growing digital markets globally.
Rural India played a significant role in this growth, constituting nearly 57% of the country’s active internet users, totaling around 548 million individuals. The report emphasized that internet adoption in rural areas is expanding almost four times faster than in urban regions, indicating a notable shift in digital usage patterns across the nation.
Moreover, the study underscored the mainstream integration of artificial intelligence in India, with 44% of internet users utilizing AI-driven features like voice search, image-based search, chatbots, and AI filters. Notably, younger demographics showed higher AI usage, with 57% of individuals aged 15 to 24 and 52% of those in the 25 to 44 age bracket engaging with AI features in the past year.
Additionally, short video content emerged as a significant driver of internet usage, with approximately 588 million users, constituting 61% of the total user base, consuming short videos in 2025. Rural users slightly surpassed urban users in short-video consumption, with a strong preference among younger audiences, according to the report.
