Internet usage in India continues to grow at a slow but steady pace, both in breadth and depth, with the overall Internet-using population in urban India reaching 30.32 million - a growth of 28 percent from April 2006 to April 2007 - according to the "India Online 2007" study from JuxtConsult, MarketingCharts reports.

Of the 30.32 million urban internet users, 25.17 million (83 percent) log on at least once a month; the balance of 5.15 million (17 percent) are occasional users, according to the study.

The penetration of the Internet among urban Indians stands at 9 percent now, assuming the total urban population at 336 million, JuxtConsult said.

Some key findings from the "India Online 2007" study:

• India's internet growth was fueled by home-based usage:
• The usage of internet from homes is at 59 percent (the proportion of users who access the internet from a given place).
• Place of work (office, school, colleges, etc.) remains the single-largest place for accessing internet at 78 percent.
• Internet usage from cyber cafes has remained flat, reaching 47 percent.
• Only 1.4 percent of the regular internet-using population accesses the net "exclusively" from a cyber cafe
• Broadband is reaching more online urban Indians:
  • At least 3 of 4 regular internet users (77 percent) who access the net from home now do so using some form of a broadband or superior connection.
  • At least 74 percent of office-based usage is also on broadband or superior connections.
  • Nevertheless, the biggest problem faced on the net (by at least 2 of 3 net users) is the "slowness in opening of websites."
  • And almost 1 in 3 net users (35 percent) also complain about the "difficulty in connecting to the net" in the first place.
• Networking and Entertainment activities are the biggest gainers in popularity:
  • Among the 10 most popular online activities of regular internet users, five are communication and networking activities: emailing, instant messaging, chatting, e-greetings and dating/friendship.
  • Four of the remaining five are entertainment activities: news, sports, music and games.

MarketingCharts offers up more findings and tables from the study.