Www: Women On The Web

From finding the right pair of shoes to matching with her better half, Simran Ahuja finds out what the Indian woman has been doing online

- Simran Ahuja

Aeons ago, the Mayans predicted that the world would end in the year 2012. Almost six revolutions around the sun later, Planet Earth is alive and still kicking. Funnily enough, the period that was doomed to be the end of life aligned very closely with when things in India boomed, giving way to a new way of life—an era where a modern-day apocalypse means the Internet has shut down for a whole day. Or all the apps on your phone have disappeared without a way to bring them back.

A 2015 report by Morgan Stanley states that India is the second largest Internet market in the world. From 2010 to 2014 alone, the country’s Internet users tripled from 100 million to 300 million. According to a Google spokesperson, over the next five years, i.e. by 2020, this number could again double up to almost 650 million.

Basically, an increasing number of Indians are logging on for more than just a simple Google search. Thanks to the digital era, there have been many changes in the life of an Indian woman. We find out what she’s been up to, one app, website and gadget at a time.

FASHION

Evolution: When Carrie Bradshaw said, “I like my money where I can see it, hanging in my closet,” who knew she was predicting a trend in the Indian e-commerce scene. Today, apparel is one of the top categories purchased by women online. E-commerce sites have had their fair of sceptics but over time, convenience has trumped doubts.

Trends: “I think the biggest trend we’ve observed is that, women have definitely gotten more comfortable shopping online. When we first launched in 2007, women mostly bought only tops. In the past one year, we’ve seen a spike in the sale of dresses and trousers— something that is considered more tricky,” says Bindu Mendonsa, SVP and head of women’s and men’s businesses at Myntra.