By 2025, the number of internet users in India is projected to be 974.86 million. As digital activities rise in India, the Digital Marketing sector is simultaneously experiencing double-digit growth. This gives an indication as to why Digital Marketing in India will have a lot of scopes to grow and grow.
The usage of digital platforms has been consistently rising since the launch of the ‘Digital India’ program by the Government of India. Market analysts estimate that the program will help the GDP to touch US$ 1 trillion by 2025. It will also boost the overall Digital Marketing sector; employment generation; labor productivity; growth in the business sector; and increase revenue for the Government of India.
WHAT WILL DRIVE FUTURE SCOPE?
The future scope of Digital Marketing in India looks good driven by the following factors.
INITIATIVES OF GOVT OF INDIA
In the past three years, the Government of India has launched several initiatives like:
- ‘Digital India’ program aimed at shoring up the entire ecosystem of public services. Under the program, the power of IT is used for transforming India into a knowledge economy with a digitally empowered society. Several industries have joined hands with the Government to make e-India a reality.
- E-Marketplace to digitize the entire market ecosystem. This has helped to digitize registrations. As a result of this, there has been a considerable rise in e-marketplace analytical graphs.
Like the above two, the Government of India is coming up with several other initiatives. These initiatives have opened up several opportunities in metro cities and small towns. They have also helped make Digital Marketing a successful career option in India.
RISE IN THE NUMBER OF INTERNET USERS
As per the IAMAI-Kantar Cube report, by 2025 the number of active internet users in India is likely to touch 900 million, a growth of 45 percent compared to 622 million in 2020. Rural India is expected to have a higher number of active internet users compared to urban India by 2025. This indicates that there lies an abundance of opportunities that will help strengthen the digital ecosystem in India.
The rate, at which India is growing in terms of almost every area, shows that the population will be greatly inclined toward the Internet in the coming years. As a result, the digital ecosystem will also need to evolve to address the unique needs of the upcoming demographics. This will fuel demand for skilled Digital Marketing professionals, and also, make a career in Digital Marketing, much sought-after.
RISE IN DIGITAL CLASSIFIEDS MARKET REVENUE
The digital advertising market in India is expected to touch US$25-30 billion by 2030 from just US$3 billion in 2020. According to management consultancy Redseer, digital ad expenditure is expected to grow 10 times more in the next decade and is likely to account for 70-85% of the total ad market. Currently, the total ad market stands at 33%. The report also highlighted the fact that mobile penetration has successfully taken over all the other digital mediums in India. It has become the key device that is witnessing maximum consumption.
Market analysts believe that the main growth drivers will be rising digital consumption in time spent and shift in eye-balls; increase in GDP/capita; and growth of direct-to-consumer (D2C)/ challenger brands. They will fuel the growth of digital ads and rising digital penetration in tier-II cities across India. Furthermore, they will also create new markets and opportunities for Digital Marketing.
Another factor according to market analysts will be millennials and Generation Z who generally spend a majority of their time on digital platforms. With more number of them, particularly in Tier-II cities expected to engage more digitally through apps, social media, and websites, the trend is only expected to grow.
MORE INSTITUTES COMING UP WITH DIGITAL MARKETING COURSES
Encouraged by the growing opportunities for Digital Marketing, more institutions are coming up with courses in Digital Marketing, both online and offline. There has also been a rise in institutes involved in other areas like communications, advertising, etc, offering a certification program in Digital Marketing. Many colleges are also introducing a curriculum that involves Digital Marketing.
Several Digital Marketing Agencies today have their own academies that teach Digital Marketing to interested students.
MORE BUSINESSES GOING DIGITAL
Around 40% of today’s businesses in India depend entirely on Digital Marketing. It’s estimated that more than 90% of them will also go digital in the coming years. The reason for the switch-over is that Digital Marketing allows businesses to optimize their budget and campaigns.
Digital Marketing also helps in the accurate targeting of campaigns with measurable results. With a strong online presence, businesses can also sell their products/services better to potential customers.
SMALL TOWNS GETTING DIGITISED
Thanks to the push given by the Central Government’s initiatives, several Tier-2, and Tier-3 cities and small towns are also undertaking steps to get connected to the digital economy. Several start-ups have emerged in smaller cities and exploring ways vide social media to reach a global audience.
As per a report by OkCredit, pioneers in digital bookkeeping apps, post-COVID saw micro, small and medium enterprise sector in India rapidly adopting digital business tools to drive efficiency and growth. It also reported that digital apps are fast becoming a new rage among unorganized traders and retailers. The changeover is such that much of the demand is coming from small towns and hinterlands.
A report by Goldman Sachs reveals that the future scope of Digital Marketing in India is going to be worth US$ 160 billion by 2025. This will be thrice the current value. The report also confirms that the digital advertising market will be valued at $160 billion by 2025, multiple times more than the current value.
Conclusion
With its power to help organizations grow and tap into potential customers’ at a fraction of the price, Digital Marketing in India has immense scope. This will not only help organizations to evolve and flourish but will also give opportunities to students to access creative and technical careers that pay well.
Simply put, it is transforming the Indian landscape in ways that would have been unthinkable a decade back. The evolving changes will make it imperative for organizations to become a part of the revolution, and stay successful, else stay left behind.