India’s digital ecosystem hit its second inflection point in 2020 as the country accelerated digital adoption in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, a Google report has said.
The report, titled Year in Search: India’s determined progress, said that with a rapid growth in digitisation and a never-seen-before growth in new users, voice, video, and vernacular languages — became even more central to the way Indians interact with the internet.
As a result of lockdowns, Indians stepped out of their comfort zones to acquire new knowledge and skills that would either simplify their lives or make them more comfortable, the report said.
There was a 14-fold annual increase in search for online classes.
Indians also took the pandemic as an opportunity to reassess and future-proof their careers by learning news skills. Among the key search trends for skill-based learning was a 2.3 times increase in YouTube searches for coding and a 50 per cent increase in searches for certificate courses.
The report also said that there was a 140 per cent annual increase in searches for work-from-home jobs.
"Local first" was another key search trend for India in 2020, with Indians using Google translate to translate web pages to local languages over 17 billion times across the year.
More Indians began demanding content that was curated for them, in their own local language. Four out of 5 top searched web-series in 2020 were Indian content, while 90 per cent of YouTube viewers preferred watching content in local languages.
The report also said there was a redefinition of "value" for Indians in 2020, with a rise in search for high-value and high-involvement categories such as smart TVs, laptops, and even cars.
There was a 300 per cent annual increase in people searching for online doctor consultations, while 50 per cent of auto consumers were considering buying vehicles online.
Additionally, there was a 1.7-times increase in people searching for grocery online, led by Chandigarh, Surat and Indore, and a 60 per cent annual increase in searches for home delivery.
"What we have seen in the last year shows the ambition, the flexibility, the pride, and the extreme innovation-driven momentum toward India's pursuit of progress. It’s a call to all of us as businesses to reexamine our priorities and evolve at the pace our consumers have, while finding meaningful ways to contribute to India’s growth," said Sapna Chadha, senior country marketing director, South-East Asia and India at Google.