Understanding Indic-first internet users

India has seen an explosion of local-language internet users in recent years, whose behaviour mirrors English-language users in many respects but also differs from them in subtle ways.

Why it matters

Cheap smartphones and data packages have accelerated the number of internet users across India, many of whom prefer to use, or can only use, Indic languages – the Bharat of the Bharat - The Neo India report from ShareChat and GroupM. This report details how, contrary to what marketers sometimes assume, Bharat is affluent and digitally savvy while also being highly engaged on social media, the gateway to the internet. 

Takeaways 

• The preference for Indic language grows as one moves away from the top metros. On social media, 39% of Bharat is from metros, 53% from non-metros.
• Compared to overall internet users, Bharat over indexes on loyalty to brands they like (110%), readiness to pay extra to personalise products that suit them (105%) and buying products from businesses that give back to society (105%).
• Bharat is also more likely to create and share content on social media: 29% post at least once a day (compared to 22% of all internet users), while 21% post 4-5 times a week (compared to 17% of all internet users). 
• The three media that most influence Bharat are TV (39%), Social Media and E-commerce (both 37%).

The big idea

“Bharat audience is no longer just about being labeled as ‘potential audience’ or ‘untapped potential.’ It is the current growth frontier and can be tapped in many different ways” – Ajit Varghese, chief commercial officer, ShareChat.

Sourced from ShareChat, GroupM [Image: Tracy Le Blanc from Pexels]