NRI Online 2 0 0 6 Snapshot

Online Research & Advisory

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NRI Online 2006

By and large two-thirds of the NRI, irrespective of which part of the

world they currently live in, feel that what binds them to India is their

'family' back home. Gulf ones highlight family connection somewhat

more than the west-based ones.

The gulf-based online NRI not only show higher physical, financial and

communicational connectivity with India but higher informational and

entertainment-related connectivity as well.

Gulf-based online NRI travels to India more frequently for both personal and professional reasons.

Gulf-based online NRI also call their family and friends in India more.

Gulf-based online NRI email also relatively more frequently for personal reasons.

Gulf-based online NRI remit money to India more frequently.

Compared to the west-based NRI they also check information about

India more, though they do so relatively more using the 'offline'

mediums.

Gulf-based online NRI are more connected with India'Family connection' islargely what keeps onlineNRI hooked to India

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West-based online NRI connect more online

Both groups keep a keen eye on India's economic

progress

Between the two NRI groups, the west-based online NRI rely on Internet

relatively more to stay connected with happenings in India. A

significantly higher proportion of gulf-based online NRI prefer to update

themselves through the electronic media (TV largely).

However, it is not that the gulf-based ones surf the net less regularly

than the west-based ones to check Indian content, it is just that they use

the offline mediums significantly more to watch or read about India.

By and large online NRI are most interested in 'economic progress' and

'political stability' of the country (India) than anything else. Interestingly,

this is in quite a variance with what online Indians in India are generally

interested in. Online Indians show far greater interest in entertainment

content (sports, cinema, lifestyle, etc.).

This contrast is also reflected in the Indian role models that online NRI

have as compared to the online Indians. While online Indians see

business, sports and cinema celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan,

Dhirubahi Ambani, Sachin Tendulkar or Shah Rukh Khan as the relatively

bigger role models in their lives (apart from their parents), the online NRI

look at APJ Abdul Kalam, Mahatma Gandhi and Manmohan Singh as

bigger role models than these celebrities.

Online Indians show far

greater interest in

entertainment content

(sports, cinema,

lifestyle, etc.)

NRI Online 2006

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NRI Online 2006

Online NRI show high level of keenness to invest in

India

Gulf ones prefer to remit money more through the

banking channels

Despite very high current ownership of assets in India, a significant

proportion of online NRI would like to invest further in India, especially in

the physical assets.

Almost half the online NRI would still like to invest in a house or land in

India in the near future. In comparison only around a quarter would like

to invest in financial assets.

Contrary to the popular perception, when it comes to the mode of

remitting money to India, it is the gulf-based online NRI who trust the

banking modes of transferring funds to India relatively more (both online

and offline).

This higher preference for banking modes by the gulf-based online NRI

may have something to do with the fact that they remit money to India

more frequently.

Almost half the online NRI

would still like to invest in a

house or land in India in the

near future

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NRI Online 2006

West-based NRI are generally the heavier users of the

net, but not the heavier users of Indian content on the

net

Some other highlights about online NRI are:

Not only a noticeably higher proportion of west-based online NRI access

the net several times a day but also significantly more of them use the

net for more than 2 hours a day from home.

However, when it comes to the usage of Indian content online at home,

almost similar levels of online NRI from both regions surf equally. On the

other hand, the gulf-based online NRI check Indian content from office

somewhat more.

Half the online NRI are South Indians in origin.

Only 1 in 5 west-based online NRI is a 'techie'.

An equal proportion of gulf-based online NRI are professionally qualified, and they work relatively more in the corporate sector.

Gulf-based online NRI have significantly lower incomes.

Gulf-based online NRI access the net more from office, west- based ones access it more from homes.

Overall 3 out of 4 online NRI who buy online also buy from an Indian website.

For entertainment, online NRI connect with Indian music the most.

The gulf-based online NRI

check Indian content from

office somewhat more.

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NRI Online 2006

Their preferred websites for Indian content are:

Online Activity

Most visited Indian website

Info Search about India

News & Events in India

Search Jobs in India

Online Friendships in India

Matrimony

Booking Travel Ticket to India

Online Shopping from India

Real Estate info in India

Indian Cinema content

Indian Sports content

Indian Music content

Indian Fashion content

Online Games

Emailing

Top Website

Rediff

Google

Times of India

Naukri

Yahoo

Shaadi

Air India

Ebay

Google

Bollywood

Cricinfo

Raaga

Indiafashion

Yahoo

Yahoo

% Preference

11

26

13

34

34

48

23

16

10

9

14

17

17

32

44

The gulf-based online NRI are

noticeably more linked to India

than the west-based ones and

understandably so.

To sum up, by and large the online NRI are highly connected with India,

both because of their strong 'family linkages' back home as well as their

high levels of concern about the 'progress' of their homeland. In this, the

gulf-based online NRI are noticeably more linked to India than the west-

based ones and understandably so.

Though the west-based online NRI prefer to stay connected with India

using the Internet relatively more, and may be classified as the more

online NRI per se, in effect they connect online with India only as much as

the gulf ones.

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NRI Online 2006

Online Research & Advisory

For Complete Report Contact us:

Sanjay Tiwari | sanjay@juxtconsult.com

M mrutyunjay@juxtconsult.comrutyunjay |

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