The NRI Online study helps in understanding the status and net usage behavior and preferences of the Non Resident Indians.It gives a highly ‘insightful’ understanding of the current net usage ehavior and preferences of various types of Non Resident Indians.The report is an useful guide to all those who would like to understand and use Internet to market to NRI consumers,Marketers targeting NRI markets – Travel companies, Banks and financial companies,Telecom companies,Real estate players,Websites owners targeting NRI customer base.

1. NRI Online
Snapshot
2006
Online Research & Advisory

2. 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.
'Family connection' is Gulf-based online NRI are more connected with India
largely what keeps online
The gulf-based online NRI not only show higher physical, financial and
NRI hooked to India 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.
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3. NRI Online 2006
West-based online NRI connect more online
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).
Online Indians show far
However, it is not that the gulf-based ones surf the net less regularly
greater interest in
than the west-based ones to check Indian content, it is just that they use
entertainment content the offline mediums significantly more to watch or read about India.
(sports, cinema,
Both groups keep a keen eye on India's economic
lifestyle, etc.)
progress
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.
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4. NRI Online 2006
Online NRI show high level of keenness to invest in
India
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 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
house or land in India in the
to invest in financial assets.
near future
Gulf ones prefer to remit money more through the
banking channels
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.
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5. 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
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
The gulf-based online NRI net for more than 2 hours a day from home.
check Indian content from However, when it comes to the usage of Indian content online at home,
office somewhat more. 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.
Some other highlights about online NRI are:
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.
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6. NRI Online 2006
Their preferred websites for Indian content are:
Online Activity Top Website % Preference
Most visited Indian website Rediff 11
Info Search about India Google 26
News & Events in India Times of India 13
Search Jobs in India Naukri 34
The gulf-based online NRI are
Online Friendships in India Yahoo 34
noticeably more linked to India Matrimony Shaadi 48
than the west-based ones and Booking Travel Ticket to India Air India 23
understandably so. Online Shopping from India Ebay 16
Real Estate info in India Google 10
Indian Cinema content Bollywood 9
Indian Sports content Cricinfo 14
Indian Music content Raaga 17
Indian Fashion content Indiafashion 17
Online Games Yahoo 32
Emailing Yahoo 44
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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7. NRI Online 2006
For Complete Report Contact us:
Sanjay Tiwari | sanjay@juxtconsult.com
Mrutyunjay | mrutyunjay@juxtconsult.com
Online Research & Advisory
7, Kehar Singh Estate, 1st Floor, Westend Marg, Lane 2, Said-ul-Ajaib, New Delhi - 110 030, +91-11-32969221
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