INDIA'S

INDEPENDENCE
VIA MOBILES
 FOREWORD
India is celebrating its 71st Independence
Day this 15th August, 2017. Over the past
seven decades, India has gone through
many trials and tribulations. Technological
waves have continued to propel India
forward, whether it be the first color TV or
the mobile phone.
When feature phones debuted in India,
they empowered Indians to connect with
each other, across its small towns and
even villages. The emergence of affordable
smartphones, and its explosive growth in
India changed the way Indians lived their
lives. By connecting Indians to the internet,
smartphones opened myriad new avenues
for them to reshape their destiny.
Whether it be communications or education,
transportation or emergency situations,
ecommerce or government interface,
smartphones are enabling India like never
before.
Today, the smartphone is much more than a
communication tool. It has changed the way
Indians live, enabling them to be truly
independent.
The Smartphone is the single most important
transformative tool that has swept the nation,
enabling Indians across castes, classes,
communities, religions, and economic status
to find true independence post-independence.
This primary survey presents primary findings
cutting across use cases, user profiles, and,
use contexts.
Saikat Mookherjee
AVP- Research and Consulting Services
CMR
CYBER MEDIA RESEARCH

Mobile phones – A window to many new worlds.
No other nation has embraced mobile phones the way India has. In scripting this success story, many
different stakeholders came together.

Since Independence, the mobile phone has emerged as the single most transformative tool that has
enabled Indians to overcome severe geographic barriers, class divides, and embrace new economic
realities.
The emergence of feature phones, and affordable smartphones has enabled Indians everywhere to rise
above their trying circumstances, and overcome economic inequalities.

This report examines the role played by mobiles in the lives of Indians, in enabling them to not just
communicate, but to access the internet, and build, share and create information.

Summary of Key Findings:

• A whole new generation of Indians, across all demographics, have emerged that have not used a desktop or a
laptop, but rather have leapfrogged to the digital world by embracing mobiles, especially smartphones.

• While the feature phone has remained a communication tool, with limited functionalities for playing games and
listening to music, the smartphone has emerged as an aspirational tool that replaces the functions of many other
devices – whether it be a music player, a camera, or even a bank.
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Mobile phones – A window to many new worlds.

• The smartphone enables India to not just communicate, but rather go online, and steer through many key moments in
their lives – whether it be learning new information, connecting to friends everywhere, making and accepting
payments, navigating through traffic, accessing government services, finding and applying for jobs, among others.

• Indians are using the smartphones to build closely-knit communities by enabling them to track local news, as well as
breaking news.

• In emergency situations, the smartphones have enabled Indians to navigate themselves to safety, and even report
potentially criminal situations to law and order authorities.

• The mobile phones have become such an integral part of Indian lifestyles, that they face difficulties when they
misplace or lose their phone.

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Empowered India through mobile phones

“improves my personal independence”

63%
The Smartphone is a life
altering tool, with a majority
“enhances my personal security” of Indians ascribing many
benefits, including “freedom”,
76%
“economic benefits”,
“enhancement in quality of
“improves my quality of life”
life”, and “improved work
66% efficiency” to it.
“improves my economic condition”
54%
“helps in connecting with Government”
42%
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Empowered India through mobile phones
“improves work efficiency in my job”

53%
Whether it be “personal
security”, or as a means to
“enhances my knowledge about the world”
“enhance knowledge”, or “to
fight potential criminal 75%
situations”, or simply to
“make life fun”, smartphones
“can find information that I need urgently”
are changing the way, Indians
interact and navigate the 63%
complex world they live in.
“makes life fun”
76%

“helps in reducing crime”

43%
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Independence and Mobile Phones

“The smartphone improves my personal security”

TIER – 1 CITY TIER – 2 CITY MALE FEMALE

58% 42% 41% 56%

“The mobile phone improves my economic condition ”

TIER – 1 CITY TIER – 2 CITY

62% 32% 62% 33%

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Independence and Mobile Phones

“The mobile phone helps in accessing the Government services ”

TIER – 1 CITY TIER – 2 CITY

49% 40%

“The mobile phone improves my personal independence ”

TIER – 1 CITY TIER – 2 CITY MALE FEMALE

71% 41% 70% 41% 56% 67%

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Independence and Mobile Phones

“The mobile phone improves work efficiency in my job”

87% 45%

“A mobile phone enhances my knowledge about the world and others ”

TIER – 1 CITY TIER – 2 CITY

79% 66%

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Difficulties faced in the absence of phone

67% Smartphone owners have got into

FELT COMPLETELY LOST
43%
LOST BUSINESS DUE TO LACK OF PHONE
troubles in the absence of phones
with them. The over-reliance on
smartphones, led people to
experience fear and dejection,
resulting in lost business, and fears
for data loss.

Unlike smartphone users, feature

52%
GOT SCARED AS CRITICAL INFORMATION COULD
BE ACCESSED BY SOMEONE
phone users are not overtly
connected to their phone, with
some experiencing some loss.

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Emergency Contexts where mobiles helped.

MEDICAL EMERGENCY
51%
53% 42%
30% of the Feature Phone
A C C I D E N T S / F L AT T Y R E S
users relied on their phone
37% to make calls, and secure
40% 18%
LOST AND NEEDED DIRECTIONS directions, when they were
35% lost.
36% 30%
REPORT POSSIBLE CRIMES 21% of the smartphone
19% users indicated that they
21% 4%
FIRE/GAS LEAKS saw potential criminal
activities, and used their
23%
22% 25% phone to notify law and
LOCKED OUT OF HOME order personnel.
15%
16% 12%
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India is a Mobile First, and in some instances, Mobile
Only Nation.

34% 18% 8%

An overwhelming majority of those surveyed, do not possess either a desktop, laptop, or a

tablet. For them, their smartphone is the primary, and only, platform to the digital world.
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Accessing Internet via Smartphones

94%
Access internet using their smartphone.

Teens Youth Working Professionals Housewives Elderly

98% 99% 97% 87% 74%

Across demographic profiles, there are a majority of Indians accessing internet on their
smartphones.

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Gap between waking up, and picking the mobile.
1 Hour or
more
35%
Within 30 minutes of waking up,
5 Minutes 21% 69% of Indians reach for their
smartphone.

In comparison, only 56% feature

15 Minutes 21% phone users picked-up their
phone after waking up.

30 Minutes 23%
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Gap between waking up, and picking the mobile.

30 Minutes

Teens Youth Working Professionals Housewives Elderly

74% 81% 67% 49% 42%

Across demographics, a majority of the teens, youth and working professionals pick
their mobiles within 30 minutes of waking up.

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Indians spend an increasing amount of time on mobile
phone.
<1 Hour 5%
On an average, 40% of the
1-2 Hours 20% consumers spend 2-6 hours of
their time online.

2-6 Hours 40%

6-10 Hours 24%

>10 Hours 12%

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Time spent Online daily.

More than
2 Hours
Teens Youth Working Professionals Housewives Elderly

79% 87% 83% 57% 52%

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Indians are using smartphones in a variety of contexts.
99%
Calling
86% 83%
Social
Messaging
74%
Networking
Listening 63%
Music
Take
Photos

61% 48% 39% 38% 59%

Watch
Digital Video Online Gaming
Videos
Payments Calling Shopping

18% 27%
29%
30% Reading
Weather
Emails

30% Record
Updates
Videos
Live TV

Going beyond mere calling and messaging, a smartphone brings together the functionalities of many
different devices, enabling Indians to perform myriad activities online. Therefore, a smartphone has become
a must-have tool for Indians across economic strata and social backgrounds.
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Feature Phones have limited use cases.

99% 37%
Calling Listening Music

37% 14%
Playing Games
Messaging

5%
Take Photos

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Mobiles are enabling freedom to learn and act.

23% 12% 19%

Scout online, Look up real Look up
and submit job estate listings or information
application information about a health
about a place to condition
live

Indians are searching and applying for jobs through the job apps on their mobile. Mobiles are also
enabling Indians to learn more, and scout for homes when they relocate. The freedom that the mobile
phone provides, enables Indians to access health information anytime, anywhere, through online
resources, or via their doctor.
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More than before, Indians use their phone to navigate
through traffic daily.
Use navigation while driving

26%
Get public transport information

39%
Reserve a taxi or car service

32%
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Swift Connect with the Public Administration.

Mobile phones are enabling citizens to come

43% closer with the Government. For instance,
Access to Government the Narendra Modi App, and other
Services or Information Government Services apps are enabling
enhanced and swift access to availing
information, and for reporting citizen
problems.

29% Law and Order is well served by citizens

Report a problem in the actively reporting problems, using their
neighborhood to the mobile apps, or through social networks, to
local authorities the Police and local Administration.

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Sharing and consumption of news on the rise.

56% 62%
Share pictures, videos or
Follow along with
commentary with others about
breaking news events.
events in the community.

39%
Learn about events or activities
in the community.

Access to real-time news, anywhere, anyplace, has been democratized by the mobile phone. At the
community level, mobile phones are enabling closer linkages.
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Time of maximum phone usage.

Morning Work Evening Night

2% 42% 18% 38%

The maximum use of mobile phones is during working hours, followed by night. Feature phone
users (47%) are more active during working hours, as compared to smartphone users (39%).

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Locations where mobile is used.
At Work Shopping
While with Family/
Friends Using
Public Transport
56% 61%
70% 76%
In a Business
While Meeting Watching TV or
Driving Films
Crossing
21% Walking
the Road
15% 77%
30% 63%

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Most used Mobile Apps
SHOPPING

Both Amazon and Flipkart have high acceptance

49% among Indians, with more preference for
Amazon.
31% 18%

SOCIAL NETWORKING

Facebook is the default social platform, across

68% age groups with high acceptance from teens to
60% 38% elderly citizens.

TRANSIT/NAVIGATION

44% of the working professionals rely on Google

32% Maps to navigate their travel. 9% of the elderly
22% citizens also use the app.
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Most used Mobile Apps
COMMUTE

39% of the working professionals use Ola, while

42% only 19% use Uber.

25% 12%

ENTERTAINMENT
YouTube ranks high amongst all age groups. The
only other digital entertainment source for India
82% that ranks high is Hotstar. FM Radio ranks high
48% 13% amongst feature phone users.

GOVERNANCE

MyGov app has a high acceptance amongst teens

32% and youth, while the Narendra Modi app enjoys
the flavor across all age groups.
40% 29%
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Most used Mobile Apps
COMMUNICATION

Whatsapp is the dominant messaging app

66% across demographics, while Hike finds favor
with the teens.
53% 10%

BANKING
SBI app is the most widely used app across Tier-
1 and Tier-2 cities, while PayTM finds
32% acceptance across urban demographics.
25% 15%

TRAVEL

IRCTC is the most favored app when it comes to

21% travel, across demographics. MakeMyTrip is
preferred by working professionals.
36% 12%
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Monthly Data Usage

Upto 2GB Upto 2GB

42% 79%
>2GB Data >2GB Data
15% 8%
Unlimited Data Unlimited Data
43% 13%

The data usage is significantly high on smartphones, as compared to feature phones. Data usage by males
is higher in smartphones than females. 55% of the youth prefer unlimited data plans. In the case of
feature phones, 53% of the data usage is limited upto 100MB.
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Overall Monthly Spend on Mobile Phones

<INR 500 <INR 500

74% 87%
INR 500 – INR 1000 INR 500 – INR 1000

22% 11%
> INR 1000 > INR 1000

4% 2%

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Money spent on buying mobile phone.

<INR 5000 <INR 1000

5% 14%
INR 5000 - 10000 INR 1000 - 2000
38%
60%
INR 10001 - 15000 INR 2001 - 3000
29% 13%
> INR 15001 – 20000
>INR 3000
15%
> INR 20000 13%
13%

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Top factors considered in a smartphone

Battery
RAM
Life
65%
97%
Networking Multimedia
Technology Functions
68% 68%
Camera Screen Size
Quality 68%
68%
Internal
Latest OS
Memory
38%
44%
Color
After Sales Variants
60% 43%
Processor
36%

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Influencers and Decision Maker for Mobile Purchase

Whether it be
smartphone or
feature phone, the
Self Spouse Self Spouse key influencers for
purchase include
95% 44% 77% 8% close family, friends
and the self.
Relatives Friends Relatives Friends However, for actual
49% 40% 20% 3%
purchase, the decision
is majorly taken by
self.
Colleague Colleague
14% 1%
Influencers Decision Makers
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By Gender and Age
Gender

69% 31%

By Age Groups

13-19 20-25 26-35 36-45 46-55 56-65 >65

Years Years Years Years Years Years Years

16% 17% 32% 14% 6% 10% 5%

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By Education, Occupation and Family Income
Level of Education
Monthly Family Income
POST GRADUATE 10%
GRADUATE 49% INR 20,000 – 40,000 32%
INTERMEDIATE 23% INR 40,001 – 60,000 31%
MATRICULATE 14% INR 60,001 – 80,000
17%
BELOW MATRICULATE 4% INR 80,001 – 1,00,000 9%
< INR 20,000 8%
Occupation INR 1,00,001 – 2,00,000 3%
STUDENT PRIVATE SERVICE GOVERNMENT SERVICE INR 25,00,000 1%
24% 24% 17%
HOUSEWIFE BUSINESS SELF-EMPLOYED UNEMPLOYED

16% 6% 6% 7%

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Brand of Smartphone used

28% 10% 7% 7% 6%

OTHERS

6% 5% 4% 3% 24%

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Brand of Feature phone used

26% 14% 11% 8%

OTHERS

5% 4% 32%

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About the Survey

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About the Survey

This survey was conducted online by

CMR, on behalf of Qualcomm, across
India, among 3000 respondents, cutting
across Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities, as well as
demographics: teens, youth, working
professionals, housewives and elderly
spanning the age groups of 13 and above.

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 ABOUT CMR
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