India to hit 243 million Web users

India is expected to be home to over 243 million online users by June 2014, up 28 percent year-on-year from 190 million last June.

According to the latest stats from the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), the country's online population grew 42 percent to hit 213 million for the whole year of 2013, compared to 150 million in 2012. The mobile Web space saw a large spike to 130 million users, climbing 92 percent from just 68 million in 2012, the IAMAI said in a statement Wednesday.

The mobile Web segment is projected to hit 185 million users by June 2014, accounting for some 76 percent of the overall Internet population, it noted. Growth, however, slowed from 111 percent year-on-year in 2012 to 63 percent in 2013. 

Established in 2004, the association represents India's online and mobile VAS (value-added service) industry and has over 130 members comprising both local and global companies.  

IAMAI said: "2013 was the year of the internet, [which] has reached an inflection point. The numbers confirms the internet in India is now becoming inclusive, which augurs well for the industry and society at large."

It added that the market growth has fueled other digital industries such as e-commerce and digital advertising, where the e-commerce market grew from 81.46 billion rupees (US$1.3 billion) in 2007 to 473.49 billion rupees (US$7.58 billion) in 2012. Last year, this figure climbed 33 percent to 629.67 billion rupees (US$10.08 billion). 

The Indian digital advertising space is expected to hit 29.38 billion (US$470.55 million) by March 2014, after growing 30 percent year-on-year in 2013.