(2 March 2006 5:00 pm)

BANGALORE: As more successful senior citizens in India enjoy living life to the fullest, they have also adopted and adapted to the Internet space. A new report from the Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) takes a comprehensive look at what senior netizens do online, irrespective of whether retired, salaried or entrepreneurs.

Senior netizens above the age group of 61 years were targeted for this research. It was observed that the senior citizens were a fast growing group of online users. With India's Internet population poised to reach 100 million by 2007-08 from the current 38.5 million, the absolute numbers of senior netizens are expected to rise to 3 million by 2007-08. The percentage penetration is expected to remain the same or increase marginally from the current 2.7 per cent to 3 per cent.

This dipstick research was conducted by the IAMAI in collaboration with Crosstab Marketing Services that surveyed 101 respondents in December 2005. The research was undertaken with a view to understand usage of Internet by senior netizens with a primary focus on understanding their activities online giving marketers a better perspective while designing their marketing and promotional programs to cater to a defined online target audience.

Commenting on this interesting finding, IAMAI president Preeti Desai said, "It is encouraging to see senior netizens as enthusiastic as youngsters in a variety of activities that define online life and show an online maturity in transacting online that surpasses the general population. Senior netizens will cross the three million mark by 2007-08. The report showcases that 15 per cent of senior netizens access the Internet from cyber cafes with 81 per cent using the Internet for more than five hours a week.

The findings of report highlight that 62 per cent use the Internet for looking up news online and 2 per cent read news on their mobile, a changing paradigm since it is this demographic that is the backbone of the newspaper and magazine readership. When it comes to matters of confidence of transacting on the Internet, senior netizens are well ahead of the general population with 26 per cent of senior netizens having looked up stock quotes and do stock trading as compared to 15 per cent of all Internet users with 38 per cent using the internet for online banking services and 21 per cent for online shopping."

Executive Summary

Gender of senior netizens: 87 per cent of senior netizens are male and 13 per cent of senior netizens are female. With India's Internet population poised to reach 100 million by 2007-08, the online senior netizen currently at 2.7 per cent is expected to rise marginally to 3 per cent by 2007-08.

Marital status of senior netizens: 91 per cent of senior netizens are married with kids and 8 per cent are married without kids.

Regional Representation:

The top nine cities make up for more than 77 per cent of senior netizens audience. The top five cities include - 23 per cent of senior netizens access the Internet from Delhi+, 22 per cent from Mumbai, 12 per cent from Chennai, four per cent from Hyderabad and Kolkatta. three per cent from Bangalore, Lucknow and Cochin; two per cent from Ahmedabad and Jaipur.

The top five states include 24 per cent of senior netizens access the Internet from Delhi, 23 per cent access from Maharashtra, 17 per cent are from Tamil Nadu, 10 per cent from Karnataka; and six per cent from Andhra Pradesh. Four per cent from Kerala; four per cent from West Bengal; three per cent from Uttar Pradesh; two per cent from Gujarat and Rajasthan.

Educational qualifications of senior netizens

Four per cent of senior netizens have an education up to SSC/HSC, 10 per cent have some college (Including. Diploma) but not a graduate, 37 per cent have a graduate / post-graduate general (BA, BSC. MSC, B.com etc.) and 35 per cent have a graduate /post graduate professional degree.

Occupation of senior netizens

Two per cent of senior netizens are mid level executives and nine per cent of senior netizens are senior executives while 16 per cent are self employed/professional, four per cent of senior netizens are businessman / industrialists, four per cent are housewives and 54 per cent of senior netizens are retired.

Plastic ownership and usage

80 per cent of senior netizens online own an ATM Card; 65 per cent own a credit card and debit card. 31 per cent of senior netizens use their credit cards online; 16 per cent of senior netizens use their debit cards online; nine per cent of senior netizens use both credit & debit cards online.

Internet Access by Senior Netizens

94 per cent of senior netizens access the Internet from home; 20 per cent of senior netizens access Internet from the office; 14 per cent of senior netizens access the Internet from cyber cafes.

Internet Savvyness of Senior Netizens

45 per cent of senior netizens have been using the Internet for more than six years; 44 per cent of senior netizens have been using the Internet for three to five years; seven per cent have been using the Internet since one - two years; one per cent of senior netizens have been using the Internet for six - eleven months; two per cent of senior netizens have been using the Internet for less than six months.

Senior Netizens use the Internet for varied purposes - Online Activities:

The top Internet activities among seniors who go online: 99 per cent of wired seniors have used email; 70 per cent surf for information online; 66 per cent use search engines; 62 per cent have read the news online; 47 per cent chat online; 38 per cent bank online; and 26 per cent have stock traded online.

Email: 99 per cent of senior netizens use the Internet for emailing.

Chatting: 47 per cent of senior netizens use the Internet for chatting.

Surfing: 70 per cent of senior netizens use the Internet for surfing.

Search: 66 per cent of senior netizens use search engines.

Research: 23 per cent of senior netizens use the Internet to research.

Senior Netizens didn't grow up with the personal computer and are fervent readers of the printed word. They are the backbone of newspaper and magazine readership. It's a remarkable achievement for both the interactive mediums to attract this demographic as stated by below mentioned statistics.

News Online: 62 per cent of senior netizens look up news online.

News on Mobile: 2 per cent of senior netizens read news on their mobile.

Matrimonial Purposes: 17 per cent of senior netizens use the Internet for 'Matrimonial Search".

Jobs: 20 per cent of senior netizens use the Internet to search for jobs.

Astrology: 22 per cent of senior netizens use the Internet for astrological predictions

Religious & Spiritual Information: 19 per cent use the Internet for spiritual information.

Financial Transactions Online:

Online Auctions: 12 per cent of senior netizens use the Internet to participate in online auctions

Online Stock Trading: When it comes to finances, wired seniors are much ahead of the general Internet population's enthusiasm for trades online. 26 per cent of seniors have looked up stock quotes and do stock trading as compared to 15 per cent of all Internet users.

Online Bill Payments: 21 per cent of senior netizens use the Internet for online bill payments

Online Banking: While seniors appear comfortable managing online portfolios, they are more comfortable dealing with their bank accounts in cyberspace as 38 per cent use online banking services.

Online Shopping: 21 per cent of senior netizens use the Internet for online shopping

Donating or Charity Online: 5 per cent of senior netizens donate online.