Mothers in Asia -- especially India -- are becoming increasingly Internet-savvy, be it for shopping or keeping in touch with family and friends, a survey revealed.

This trend will create a new target audience group for digital advertisers, it added.

As per the study conducted by Microsoft Advertising and Starcom MediaVest, 87 per cent of the mothers surveyed in India said that the Internet is now an important part of their lives.

As many as 50 per cent said they had made online purchases in the last one month, it revealed.

"Mothers are increasingly using technology to their benefit in every possible way. They are well aware of brands online and are more than open to adopting messages relevant to them. By successfully engaging these 'digi moms' through the right medium at the right time, brands can create highly influential online brand ambassadors," Microsoft Advertising director Neville Taraporewalla said.

The survey dealt with the online behaviour of over 3,000 mothers across eight countries in Asia, including India, China, Singapore, Hong Kong and Korea.

While Indian mothers spend 56 per cent of their total time on the Internet either for work or study, 90 per cent of them use it to connect with family and friends. As many as 75 per cent defined going online as their "me-time activity," the survey said.

About 81 per cent of the mothers in the country prefer reading newspapers and magazines online, and books top their list of shopping items.

The survey stated that though social networking is one of the activities that draw a majority of people online, Indian moms are amongst the lowest users of social networking.

Only 58 per cent among them maintain a social networking profile, as compared to 82 per cent in Singapore, 77 per cent in Hong Kong and 62 per cent in China and Korea.

More than 90 per cent of the moms agreed that good brands or products were worth talking about, and over 72 per cent said that they can persuade friends and family to buy the same products, it added.