By 2025, there will more internet users in rural India than in urban India, according to an IAMAI-Kantar report and even though internet penetration in urban India is twice that of rural areas, the usership in rural regions is growing at a faster rate on a year-on-year basis. It is quite clear that India’s digital ecosystem will need to evolve to address the specific needs of this emerging market and regional language, voice plus video will be the preferred interface for this new digital ecosystem or the next 600 million internet users in India.
Many startups have already identified the gaps and recognized the opportunities as they build platforms that are simplifying lives in rural India, in tier 2,3 towns, and beyond as they unlock the potential of this large user base. The spotlight is on three high-velocity verticals where new-age businesses are building for Bharat as they disrupt the status quo – social-commerce or community-based e-commerce, education for mobile-first regional language internet users and last-mile public transportation.
To discuss this CNBC-TV18 caught up with Mohit Dubey, co-founder and CEO, Chalo, Angad Kikla, co-founder, Citymall and Karanvir Singh, founder and CEO, Pariksha.
Watch the video for the full discussion