India could have 300 million Internet users in 2017.
By Dileep Thekkethil
BANGALORE: Google seems to be determined in expanding India’s Internet user base to 300 million by the end of 2017.
The company recently announced that it has come to a pact with major content providers to form Indian Language alliance to offer regional language content on the Internet.
Media firms that partnered with Google in the Indian Language alliance include popular networks such as NDTV, Network 18, ABP News. Some governmental organizations like C-DAC and Firsttouch are also among the firms that decided to join hands with Google.
The Vice president of Google India and Managing Director Rajan Anandan said, “The ILIA will be critical to make Internet useful to all Indian users and not just English speaking Indians. Through this initiative we hope to enable 300 million Indian language users to become highly engaged Internet users by 2017.”
At present, India has 200 million Internet users and according to studies five million users are newly introduced to Internet in India, each month. Out of the 200 million Internet users in India 198 million people can read English and a majority of maiden Internet users are accessing the net via their smartphones.
As a step forward in reaching 300 million Internet users, Google displayed a demo of Hindi Voice, the English version of which became viral among smartphone users in India. Other than this Google has launched a new website, www.hindiweb.com for Hindi speaking people to discover Hindi content located in websites, apps, videos and blogs.
Amit Singhal, Google’s Senior Vice President for Search said, “Hindi Voice search is just one of the many steps Google is taking to empower the Indian language users and advertisers to take advantage of the Web’s huge economics ad social potential.”