India’s digital consumer market is on track to surpass the $1 trillion mark within the next decade, according to a new report titled Click, Shop, Repeat by Bessemer Venture Partners.
The growth is being fueled by mobile-first behaviour, rising smartphone usage, affordable data, and seamless payment systems.
“Even if the market grows at a modest 20% annually, it will easily cross the trillion-dollar threshold,” said Anant Vidur Puri, Partner at Bessemer and co-author of the report.
He added, “What used to be a trip to the mall and a movie is now a mobile-first experience.”
Smartphones reshape commerce & content
India now has around 800 million smartphone users, with individuals spending nearly eight hours a day online.
This heavy mobile usage has reshaped how Indians engage with commerce, content, and brands, creating what the report calls a ‘triple engine’ of digital transformation.
Digital platforms have become virtual storefronts that help small and niche brands achieve instant national visibility.
Puri explained, “A new trend or product can now get listed on 20 platforms with almost no effort. This is why it’s a great time to build a brand in India.”
Retention becomes key to sustainable growth
While platforms enable brands to scale rapidly, Puri emphasised that customer retention is now the most critical factor for long-term success.
“Retention improves revenue predictability, lowers marketing costs, boosts EBITDA, and reduces cash burn. If you solve retention, you solve everything,” he noted.
The report also highlighted the complexity of India’s market, stressing the need for clear pricing strategies.
“India is not one market—it’s many. A Rs 100 lipstick may be cheap to one person and expensive to another. Brands need to define their target market very precisely,” said Puri.
Young generation shapes digital commerce
With over 600 million Indians born after 2001, India’s youth are driving digital adoption.
“By the time they reached college, they had already adapted to smartphones, fast internet, and e-commerce. This generation spends more than half their waking hours online,” Puri said.
The report predicts that India will soon join the ranks of digital powerhouses like China, where digital commerce contributes over 15% of GDP.
Puri also noted that India is developing its playbook for brand-building, one rooted in local culture and consumer behaviour, lessons that could inspire global markets.
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