India is expected to have 420 million mobile Internet users by June this year, with urban consumers spending as much as Rs 275 a month on data, a report by industry body IAMAI on Tuesday said. The number of mobile Internet users in the country at the end of December last year was estimated to be 389 million, as per the report by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and IMRB.
Of the 420 mn, about 250 mn users are expected to come from urban India, while the remaining 170 million would be in rural parts of the country. The growth in user base is faster in rural parts of the country as the addition is propelled by falling data charges and smartphones becoming more affordable. The report found urban users being top consumers of communication, social networking and entertainment on mobile Internet, while in rural India, entertainment rules the roost.