New Delhi, April 26: The number of Internet users in India will hit 500 million by June and by 2020, the country will have an estimated 702 million smartphone users, experts said here on Thursday.

Mobile phones will emerge as the preferred device for online shopping by 2020, accounting for 70 per cent of total online shopping, said the experts at the seventh edition of the India Internet Day in the Capital.

The conference was organised by TiE Delhi-NCR, the world's largest network of successful entrepreneurs and professionals -- attended by over 500 Internet enthusiasts from across the nation.

"With the seventh edition of India Internet Day, we kept a sharp focus on how the entrepreneurs should tap into the emerging user base that hails from the corners of the country," said Geetika Dayal, Executive Director, TiE Delhi-NCR.

"We also focused on the nuances that the startups need to keep in mind to reach out to the next 300 million users," she added.

According to Dilip Asbe, Managing Director, CEO, the National payment Council of India (NPCI), Unified Payments Interface (UPI) clocked 178.05 million transactions worth Rs 24,172.6 crore in March this year.

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Bengaluru (PTI): Congress leader Rajeev Gowda, arrested for "abusing and threatening" Shidlaghatta City Municipal Council Commissioner Amrutha Gowda, was sent to 4 days judicial custody on Tuesday.

Rajeev Gowda was on the run after police registered a case of intimidation and abusing a government officer and interrupting government work. He was arrested from Kerala on Monday.

The accused was produced before the Shidlaghatta Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) on Tuesday. The Court ordered his 14 days' judicial custody.

Rajeev Gowda had threatened Amrutha Gowda with dire consequences and used expletives against her over the phone on January 12 for removing a banner with his photo from a busy junction in Shidlaghatta town.

Since the banners were life threatening for the commuters, Amrutha Gowda ordered it removal, which enraged Rajeev Gowda.

Pained by the incident, Amrutha narrated her ordeal with the media and also made the telephonic conversation public on January 14.

The entire town, including the Municipal employees and officers, came in support of the commissioner and took out a march in the town and staged a sit-in demonstration.

The opposition BJP and JD(S) slammed the government for the incident.

Based on Amrutha Gowda's complaint, police registered an FIR against Rajeev Gowda.

Rajeev Gowda had unsuccessfully contested the 2023 Assembly election from Shidlaghatta segment on the Congress ticket.