India’s internet economy to touch $1 trillion by 2030

India’s journey to a $1-trillion consumer internet economy has been a unique story of multiple internet sectors such as e-tailing, e-health, food tech, online mobility, and quick commerce, coming together to create a strong foundation for a consumption-led growth engine. The ongoing journey from digital-first to digital-forward was a result of multiple internet sectors having shown strong momentum post-COVID, as per RedSeer. Investors are recognising India’s golden opportunity without a second thought.

In 2021, more than $40 billion of funding and 42 new unicorns were born. This is primarily because the country’s economy is becoming more skill-based and services-oriented, so more jobs are being created for skilled workers, which in turn is a major draw for investors. It has been fueled by a mix of burgeoning internet penetration rates, access to high-speed internet, and rising demand for online shopping and digital content consumption. India is home to an extremely distinct, heterogeneous population base with varying social needs.

The report noted that applications prioritising vernacularity of language, verticalized super apps, and an omnichannel approach are increasingly allowing the third cohort to join the digital mainstream. India’s new digital revolution is further enabled by the growing tech adoption in the business to business space and an expanding and maturing internet consumer base. What is also noteworthy is that key internet economies, namely e-tail, eHealth, FoodTech, Online Mobility, and Billpay and Recharge, which had experienced a sharp downward spiral during COVID re-emerged much stronger.

Additionally, the rise of tech adoption in the B2B space is bolstering India's new digital revolution. The report expressed immense optimism about India's growth, stating that the SaaS market size, which stood at about $3.5 billion in FY21, is expected to touch $8 billion by FY26, with a CAGR of 18%. With over 70 tech IPOs in pipeline by 2025, the surge driven by digitisation, government initiatives for startups, increasing local investors with high equity, and private equity funding in tech companies and the current hopeful tech landscape where tech firms are inching towards profit or are already profitable, with a $150-200 million profit by India internet in FY21," the research reveals.

S Mohini Ratna, Editor, VARINDIA