Internet Mavens in India

Abstract

Internet penetration is growing dramatically in the emerging economy of India. This study examines whether the Internet maven construct, first identified in the United States, exists amongst the online population in India. Internet mavens, an extension of the market maven, are savvy Internet users who act as sources of consumer information for others. In this study, Internet mavens are identified in the Indian population. Various aspects of Internet usage (amount, purpose, and enjoyment) are found to be predictors of Internet mavenism. Further, Internet mavens are found to more fully trust the Internet as a source of consumer information and to see the Internet as more essential to their day-to-day life than do non-mavens. Mavens were found to have significantly higher household incomes than non-mavens however despite looking across a variety of additional variables, no clear demographic profile of the Indian Internet maven emerged.