News Broadcasting
Senior netizens well adapted to Internet: IAMAI study
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.
News Broadcasting
Rising Bharat Summit 2026 spotlights India’s global ascent
PM Modi keynotes two-day event with ministers, diplomats and icons in New Delhi.
MUMBAI: India didn’t just host a summit, it threw a coming-out party for a nation ready to own the global stage. The News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026, held on 27–28 February in New Delhi, emerged as a high-octane platform for ideas, vision and strategic dialogue, uniting national leadership, global policymakers, industry titans, defence strategists and cultural icons under the theme “Strength Within”.
Prime minister Narendra Modi set the tone with a keynote that framed India’s resurgence as a reclaiming of lost potential built over generations. “In previous industrial revolutions, India and the Global South were merely followers,” he said. “But in the era of Artificial Intelligence, India is a partner in decisions and shaping them.” He highlighted the country’s thriving AI startup ecosystem and the recent AI Impact Summit attended by over 100 nations.
Union minister Piyush Goyal (Commerce & Industry) stressed India’s readiness to scale exports and deepen manufacturing, while Ashwini Vaishnaw (Railways, I&B, Electronics & IT) positioned technology and infrastructure as twin engines of growth, especially in AI and digital trust. Jyotiraditya Scindia (Communications & North East Development) revealed India’s ambition to lead in 6G through the Bharat 6G Alliance and partnerships with over 30 countries.
Global voices added depth: former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo called India’s development “self-sustaining” and strategically vital; ex-UK Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter asserted India deserves a seat at the great powers’ table; and former US Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez joined ambassadors from Norway, Germany and Sweden in discussions on geopolitical realignment, sustainability and defence preparedness.
Other speakers included veteran investor Ramesh Damani, World Gold Council CEO David Tait, Vianai Systems founder Dr Vishal Sikka, DeepTech Bharat Foundation co-founder Shashi Shekhar Vempati, defence experts Rajesh Kumar Singh, Sunil Ambekar, Patrick McGee, Tom Cooper and Adrian Fontanellaz, plus cultural and sporting icons Kangana Ranaut, Saina Nehwal, PR Sreejesh, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mithali Raj, Anil Kapoor and Yami Gautam.
The summit was supported by Jio Financial Services (Presenting Partner), Phonepe and DS Group (Co-Presenting Partners), Pernod Ricard India and Kia Seltos (Powered By & Driven By), state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand (State Partners), and associate partners including NSE, M3M Foundation and Reliance Industries.
Broadcast live across News18 Network, CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz, the event reinforced India’s image as a confident democracy and emerging global power proving that when strength comes from within, the world can’t help but watch.
