India mobile Web users to hit 165 million by 2015

India is expected to have about 165 million mobile Internet users by March 2015, as more people access the Web through their mobile devices.

According to a joint report issued by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and Indian Market Research Bureau (IMRB) Wednesday, the number of mobile Internet users in the country had risen to 87.1 million by December 2012 from 78.7 million users three months prior. These people accesed the Web through dongles-- both 2G and 3G Evolution Data Optimised (EVDO) cards--and tablet PCs, it noted.

With the ongoing proliferation of mobile devices in the country, the number of Indian mobile Web users will grow to 92.9 million by March this year, and hit 164.8 million in two years' time, the report, titled "Mobile Internet in India", added. In 2009, the number of users stood at 4.1 million, it stated. 

Both organizations polled approximately 21,000 households from 35 cities in India for this study. 

The study also found that the average monthly bill of a user accessing the Internet on mobile devices is INR 450 (US$8.47). Of this amount, 60 percent of those surveyed spent INR 198 (US$3.64) on Internet services while the rest were spent on voice-related services.

This is a "very healthy trend" as it indicates users' willingness to spend more than 40 percent of the bill toward Internet access, the report said.

In terms of Web services, e-mail, social networking services and instant messaging are the most used among mobile Internet users. Ticketing and e-banking were at the other end of the scale.