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India’s internet user base crossed 950 million in 2025, driven largely by rapid growth in rural connectivity, rising short-video consumption, and increasing adoption of AI, according to a report released by IAMAI .
The report also revealed that rural India accounts for 57 per cent of India’s active internet users, i.e, approximately 548 million active users.
The ‘Internet in India Report 2025,’ jointly prepared by Internet and Mobile Association of India and KANTAR, which highlights these trends, was released at the India Digital Summit 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 now has 958 million Active Internet Users (AIU), marking an approximate 8 per cent year-on-year growth, reinforcing India’s position as one of the world’s largest and fastest‑evolving digital markets.
It also reveals that 44 per cent of users have engaged with AI-enabled features such as voice search, image – based search, chatbots, and AI filters.
“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.
Rural regions now account for over 57 per cent of India’s active internet users and are growing at nearly four times the pace of urban India, signalling a structural shift in where and how digital adoption is expanding, it added.
The report highlighted that artificial intelligence has reached mass adoption in India, with 44 per cent of users engaging with AI-enabled features such as voice search, image-based search, chatbots, and AI filters.
“Usage is highest among younger audiences, with 57 per cent of users aged 15-24 years and 52 per cent of those aged 25-44 years reporting AI usage in the past year,” it added.
