India: internet and everyday apps

TL;DR

India has roughly 1 billion internet users (1,010,000,000 people) — about 69.7% of the population and rank #2 globally.
The apps people open most: WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, ShareChat. They cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, Payments, Mobility, Food, News, Music, Travel, Tools, Classifieds, Banking, Cloud storage, Security, AI assistants, Learning, Health, Parcels, Maps, Gaming, Reading, Public services and more.
The one to know first: WhatsApp — The most widely used messenger on earth.

India in numbers

2025–2026

Internet users: 1 billion1,010,000,000 · #2
Penetration: 69.7%#148
Population: 1.5 billion1,450,000,000 · #1
GDP: $3.76T#5
GDP growth: +7.1%#14
GDP per person: $2,594#168
Land area: 3.29M km²#7
Capital: New Delhi
Region: Asia
Official languages: Hindi (union official language)

How India goes online

India crossed a billion internet users in 2025, and the official penetration figure was revised to 70%. Cheap data made video ordinary, UPI made paying cashless, and local platforms fight global ones in a country where people switch languages mid-sentence.

Around 69.7%. With a population of about 1.5 billion and 1 billion online, roughly 440 million people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.

All 184 apps below are grouped by category.

What people actually use

184 Most-used apps

Websites people in India actually use

The 45 sites locals open most often — news, shopping, search, banking and government services. Every link goes to the official site.

Food7 Shopping6 News4 Banking4 Education4 Jobs4 Transport3 Government3 Classifieds2 Search1 Telecom1 Mail1 TV & media1 Utilities1 Health1 Property1 Travel1

ZomatoFoodzomato.comMenus, reviews and delivery in the same app. SwiggyFoodswiggy.comThe other big delivery app, plus Instamart groceries. BigBasketFoodbigbasket.comThe weekly grocery order, delivered in a slot you pick. BlinkitFoodblinkit.comGroceries in ten minutes, from a dark store nearby. ZeptoFoodzeptonow.comThe quick-commerce rival, same ten-minute promise. LiciousFoodlicious.inFresh chicken, mutton and fish, cleaned and cut. Domino’s IndiaFooddominos.co.inThe menu, the offers, and the thirty-minute promise. FlipkartShoppingflipkart.comThe homegrown marketplace that made online shopping normal, famous for its Big Billion Days sale. Amazon IndiaShoppingamazon.inFast delivery and easy returns made it the other half of India’s online shopping habit. MyntraShoppingmyntra.comFashion, and the return pickup at your door. NykaaShoppingnykaa.comBeauty and skincare, with the reviews that decide it. CromaShoppingcroma.comElectronics from the Tata chain, with store pickup. MeeshoShoppingmeesho.comCheap clothing and home goods, resold by individuals. The Times of IndiaNewstimesofindia.indiatimes.comThe biggest English-language news site in the country, from city crime to global politics. NDTVNewsndtv.comBreaking news often lands here before it reaches television. Hindustan TimesNewshindustantimes.comA steady English-language paper for politics, cities and opinion. The HinduNewsthehindu.comThe daily read in the south, and by anyone tracking policy. PaytmBankingpaytm.comSending money, paying the electricity bill and topping up a phone, all in one place. Reserve Bank of IndiaBankingrbi.org.inRate decisions and the circulars every bank in India follows. State Bank of IndiaBankingonlinesbi.sbiThe largest bank, and its YONO app. HDFC BankBankinghdfcbank.comThe largest private bank by market value. IIT BombayEducationiitb.ac.inThe most competitive engineering school in the country. IIT DelhiEducationiitd.ac.inOne of the original IITs, and its admission pages. Indian Institute of ScienceEducationiisc.ac.inThe country’s main science research institute. NPTELEducationnptel.ac.inFree engineering courses from the IITs. NaukriJobsnaukri.comThe job board most white-collar hiring runs through. TimesJobsJobstimesjobs.comThe Times of India board, and its skill tests. InternshalaJobsinternshala.comInternships for students, and the training courses. ApnaJobsapna.coBlue-collar and entry-level hiring, in local languages. IRCTCTransportirctc.co.inThe official railway booking site — every tatkal rush starts with this page. Air IndiaTransportairindia.comThe flag carrier, now rebuilding its long-haul network under Tata. OlaTransportolacabs.comRide-hailing, and the electric scooter arm. UIDAI (Aadhaar)Governmentuidai.gov.inAadhaar enrolment, updates and the linking rules. ISROGovernmentisro.gov.inLaunch schedules and mission updates. Income Tax DepartmentGovernmentincometax.gov.inFiling returns, and the e-verification step. IndiaMARTClassifiedsindiamart.comWholesale and B2B listings — where small shopkeepers order stock in bulk. JustdialClassifiedsjustdial.comShops, clinics and repairmen, city by city. Google IndiaSearchgoogle.co.inWhere most searches in India begin, and it handles Hinglish queries better than you would expect. AirtelTelecomairtel.inIndia’s second-largest carrier, strong on 5G and broadband bundles. India PostMailindiapost.gov.inThe largest postal network in the world, down to village level. Prasar BharatiTV & mediaprasarbharati.gov.inThe public broadcaster, running Doordarshan and All India Radio. India Meteorological DepartmentUtilitiesmausam.imd.gov.inMonsoon forecasts that decide planting dates across the country. AIIMS New DelhiHealthaiims.eduThe top referral hospital, and where appointments vanish in minutes. MagicbricksPropertymagicbricks.comFlats for sale and rent, city by city. MakeMyTripTravelmakemytrip.comFlights, trains and hotels in one booking.

2808 websites →

Frequently asked questions

6 Q&A

How many people in India are online?

About 1 billion (1,010,000,000 people). That works out to roughly 69.7% of the population, which puts India at #2 in the world for total internet users. Figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026, which draws on ITU and national statistics.

Which apps do people in India use most?

Mostly WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, ShareChat — they cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, Payments, Mobility, Food, News, Music, Travel, Tools, Classifieds, Banking, Cloud storage, Security, AI assistants, Learning, Health, Parcels, Maps, Gaming, Reading, Public services. The full list, grouped by category, is further down this page.

What is the leading Messaging app in India?

WhatsApp dominate this space. The best-known is WhatsApp — The most widely used messenger on earth.

How high is internet penetration in India?

Around 69.7%. With a population of about 1.5 billion and 1 billion online, roughly 440 million people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.

Where do these app facts come from?

Usage figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026 (Kepios, based on ITU and national statistics); app details come from each product’s official site. Updated 2026-11-12.

Which websites are most popular in India?

The everyday ones are Google India, Flipkart, Amazon India, plus the other 45 sites listed above. They cover news, shopping, search, banking and official paperwork, and every link points to the official site.

Sources

Updated 2026-11-12

Cite this pageWorld Sites & Apps. “India: internet and everyday apps”. 2026. https://abcvv.com/c/in-en.html

India: internet and everyday apps

India in numbers

How India goes online

What people actually use

Messaging

Social

Video

Shopping

Payments

Mobility

Food

News

Music

Travel

Tools

Classifieds

Banking

Cloud storage

Security

AI assistants

Learning

Health

Parcels

Maps

Gaming

Reading

Public services

Websites people in India actually use

Nearby and similar markets

Frequently asked questions

Sources