India's smart gadget market booming to billions by 2020

There's estimated to be around 60 million connected devices in India right now -- and that number is expected to grow to 1.9 billion by 2020.

Zoey Chong Reporter

Zoey is CNET's Asia News Reporter based in Singapore. She prefers variety to monotony and owns an Android mobile device, a Windows PC and Apple's MacBook Pro all at the same time. Outside of the office, she can be found binging on Korean variety shows, if not chilling out with a book at a café recommended by a friend.

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Zoey Chong

Feb. 20, 2017 2:53 a.m. PT

India has been going more and more digital, and soon its smart home industry will be reaping the reward.

Touted as a rapidly growing hub for connected devices, India's "Internet of Things" market is expected to grow to $9 billion by 2020, according to a new report by Deloitte.

The firm predicts there will be 1.9 billion connected devices -- that is, products other than computers or phones that connect to the internet -- by 2020. It estimates the current number to be around 60 million.

Though India still looks to trail the US and Chinese smart home markets, according to predictions by Machina Research, it represents one of many internet-related growth areas for the country. There were over 100 million new internet users in 2015, bringing the total to over 400 million.

Indian Prime Minister Modi has pushed to make the country more digital. Late last year he scrapped the country's 500 and 1,000 rupee notes (approximately $7 and $15), encouraging citizens to use digital wallet apps. His government is also working to bring affordable, high-speed internet to 150,000 villages throughout India.