India is banking on 850 million internet users and 90 percent smartphone penetration in next three to four years to achieve $1 trillion value from digital economy by 2025, said a joint report by IBM and Kalaari Capital.
According to Economic Times, the government is aiming to create a trillion dollar economy through Digital India campaign, according to the report. The report, “India’s Trillion Dollar Digital Opportunity, has outlined a 30-point implementation module for the ambitious goal.
India has a population of more than $1.32 billion based on data available till 2016.
The report said both government-run organisations and private sector are making significant contributions to improve internet infrastructure across the country in order to implement digital initiatives.
While mobile phone penetration is expected to increase from 65% to 90% by 2022; the number of internet users are projected to be more than 850 million by 2022 from 450 million now. Such an widespread internet infrastructure would help in digital inclusion of non-digital natives, highlighted the joint report by IT services firm IBM and Kalaari Capital.
In fact, every one out of two internet users are expected to be a rural person over the next 3-4 years.
Of the total, 40 percent internet users will be women and 65 percent of users will be more than 25 years of age, noted the report.
To make mobile phones more accessible, organisations have tailored products for low-end devices through ‘Go’ edition (Android Oreo, Youtube Go) for at least 40 million smartphone users.
Apart from the internet infrastructure, the report said through BharatNet project 2.5 lakh gram panchayats are expected to have internet connectivity in the next 3 years boosting the use of digital initiatives for people. Currently, more than 1 lakh villages are service-ready.
The report also highlighted how a state government run effort can contribute to the $1 trillion digital economy target citing Telangana’s initiative to provide internet throughout the state via broadband and wireless technologies and 2000 wireless links for state-wide coverage.
