India’s web traffic continues to grow despite a global slowdown in internet usage, highlighting the country’s expanding mobile-first digital ecosystem. A new industry report showed that while several global markets recorded declining website visits and reduced online engagement, India maintained strong momentum across web, mobile and AI-driven platforms.
India’s web activity grows as global internet usage slows
According to a new industry report, global web visits across 56 markets declined by 1.8% in 2025, while overall time spent online dropped nearly 5%. The slowdown has been linked to rising app usage, changing post-pandemic internet habits and the rapid adoption of AI-powered platforms.
India, however, emerged as one of the few major markets to record continued growth in web traffic. Quarterly web visits in the country increased from 373 billion in Q1 CY2025 to 397 billion in Q1 CY2026.
The report noted that smartphones are driving this growth. Mobile devices accounted for 65.7% of India’s total web traffic in Q1 CY2026, significantly higher than the global average of 47.6%. India also remained ahead of markets such as the US, UK, Germany and France in terms of mobile web usage.
The data showed India’s quarterly web traffic rose steadily from 353 billion in Q4 CY2024 to 397 billion in Q1 CY2026, even as several developed markets witnessed stabilising or declining online activity.
The report also highlighted the growing role of AI platforms globally. AI assistant traffic increased 86% year-on-year worldwide in 2025. Platforms such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini were among the biggest contributors, with Gemini traffic rising 142% globally.
India recorded even stronger growth in AI assistant usage, with traffic in the category increasing 92% year-on-year. At the same time, traditional internet categories in India also continued expanding. Browser and search engine traffic grew 9%, while social media traffic increased 8%. News traffic in India rose 2%, compared to a 6% decline globally.
Despite the rapid rise of AI tools, traditional browsing methods still dominate online discovery. Direct traffic accounted for 68.1% of website visits in India during Q1 CY2026, while organic search contributed 14.5% and social media platforms accounted for 14.7%. Gen AI referrals represented only 0.7% of total traffic.
Affordable smartphones, lower data costs and expanding 4G and 5G connectivity continue to drive it’s position as one of the world’s fastest-growing mobile-first internet markets.
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