India Mobile 2011
‘Mobile phone users’ in India and their ‘mobile usage behavior and preferences’
Study Overview
 Most ‘recent and representative’ survey-based estimates of mobile
phone users in urban and rural India
User-ship estimates is based on a very large land survey among 201,839 individuals spread across all mainland states &
union territories (covering all the 23 telecom circles) of the country. The survey was conducted between Apr-Mid June
2011 among 32,876 households in 104 cities and 15,889 households in 766 villages – a total of 48,765 households
 Most ‘comprehensive’ profiling of Indian mobile users – in their
demographics, psychographics and key mobile usage dynamics
A deeper profiling of the Indian mobile users, their consumption lifestyle and their mobile usage - including details about
their location, economic status, day-to-day lifestyle habits & preferences, and their mobile handset and service usage
patterns and preferences
Demographic profiling and individual level SIM and handset ownerships data is based on all mobile using individuals living in the surveyed households (74,237). Mobile
usage details and lifestyle profiling is based on the mobile using ‘respondent’ members (34,645)
Methodology Overview

A large-scale land survey was conducted to estimate and profile the Indian mobile users. The survey
covered ‘towns’ and ‘villages’ of all population strata in all the mainland states and and UTs in India
(covering all the key 80 of the total 88 regions in India as classified by NSSO) – all

23 telecom circles were covered extensively
The selection of towns and villages was done to attempt a best possible but practical ‘geographical’
coverage of the Indian population. The sampling within the selected towns was done on ‘2-stage
random’ basis
(firstly a random selection of polling booths, and then a random selection of households from the electoral list within each of
these randomly selected polling booths);
within villages, sampling was done on ‘systematic random’ basis
(selection of
every nth house in the village)

To estimate the mobile user-ship correctly and to make the findings representative of all mobile users
in India
(and not just of those surveyed),
telecom circle-wise, urban district/village class and SEC combination
level ‘household representation weights’ as derived from authentic ‘Govt. of India’ base-level
population statistics (NSSO/Census) were applied to the survey data.
‘telecom circle level’ and ‘operator level’ representations
TRAI data was also used to bring in appropriate
Topline Findings
103 mn mobile users added in last 1 year*

Mobile subscribers (user base) in India grew 34% to reach 407 mn (from 303 mn last year)

‘Active’ mobile subscriptions (active SIM base) grew 37% to reach 487 mn (from 355 mn last year)

Avg ‘users’ per household remain at 2.05; Avg ‘active SIMs’ per user is up marginally at 1.20

While the ‘individual’ level penetration is up at 34%, tele-density is up at 40%

Almost 60% of all Indian households are still ‘single’ mobile user households

User base of active ‘multiple SIM’ users grew by 20 mn
* As of May-June 2011
(44%)
to touch 65 mn
(from 31% last year)
Growth driven more by Rural India

Rural India overtakes urban India on the base of both ‘users’ as well as ‘active SIMs’

Rural India saw higher increases in both ‘penetration’ & ‘tele-density’ (as compared to urban India)

Growth of subscribers was relatively more in ‘North’ and ‘South’ Indian circles

Though ‘B’ circles still account for the largest chunk of mobile users, ‘A’ circle grew the most

‘UP West’ showed the highest increase in user base, ‘UP East’ the highest increase in SIM base
Usage flattens, spends drop

The daily average talk time on ‘most used connection’ is up marginally at 24.7 minutes (from 23.5
minutes last year)

However, the average monthly spends on ‘most used connection’ went down 11% to `215
(from
`242 last year). On an average, rural users claim to spend about 17% less than the urban users

‘Outgoing STD’, ‘call waiting’ and ‘domestic roaming’ remain the most used services

Mobile users surfing internet on their mobile phones grew slowly (25%) to reach only 14.4 mn
(3.5% of all Indian mobile users).

However, 101 mn mobile connections (21%) have used ‘data’ services
9 out of 10 internet using mobile users remain ‘dual device’ users (accessing internet on both mobile and PC)
Service Providers – Subscriber Shares
Overall
Mobile
Subscribers
Change from
last year
(%)
(%)
Airtel
24.7%
-2.9%
Vodafone
20.4%
Reliance
(%)
Mobile
Subscribers
Change from
last year
(%)
(%)
Uninor
2.1%
+1.7%
+4.8%
Sistema Shyam
0.9%
+0.4%
13.8%
-1.3%
Loop Mobile
0.5%
-0.2%
IDEA
13.1%
-
Videocon
0.5%
+0.5%
BSNL
8.8%
-1.8%
MTNL
0.4%
-
Tata Teleservices
8.4%
+0.7%
Spice Comm.
0.2%
-
Aircel
6.1%
-0.8%
Others
0.3%
-1.0%
Total
100%
Mobile Service
Providers
Mobile Service
Providers
407 mn
Service Providers – Active Subscription Shares
Overall
Active Mobile
Subscriptions
Change from
last year
(%)
(%)
Airtel
24.4%
-3.6%
Vodafone
20.1%
Reliance
(%)
Active Mobile
Subscriptions
Change from
last year
(%)
(%)
Uninor
2.3%
+2.0%
+4.8%
Sistema Shyam
0.9%
+0.4%
14.3%
-0.7%
Loop Mobile
0.5%
-0.2%
IDEA
12.9%
-0.1%
Videocon
0.5%
+0.5%
BSNL
8.6%
-2.0%
MTNL
0.4%
-
Tata Teleservices
8.6%
+1.0%
Spice Comm.
0.2%
-
Aircel
6.0%
-0.8%
Others
0.3%
-1.2%
Total
100%
Mobile Service
Providers
Mobile Service
Providers
487 mn
91 mn mobile handsets added in last 1 year*

There are 446 million ‘active’ mobile handsets in use (up 26% from 355 million last year)

Average handsets per user has gone down marginally to 1.1 (1.17 last year). 91% mobile users are
‘single’ active mobile handset users

Almost 5% of all mobile handsets in use (22 million) are ‘Dual SIM’ handsets

82% of all mobile handsets are claimed to have been bought at below `3,000 price point. Claimed
‘average’ handset buying price in rural areas (at `2,078) is approx. 15% lower than urban areas average buying price

80% of the ‘most used handsets’ have games on them, 55% have FM and 18% have a camera.
6% are internet enabled (WAP/GPRS/EDGE/Wi-Fi).
Only
15% mobile users use handset ‘menu’ in local Indian languages
* As of May-June 2011
Handset Brands
– Multiple Handsets
% of Total ‘Active’ Mobile
Handsets
Change from last year
Nokia
58.9%
-3.3%
Samsung
14.9%
+5.7%
LG
9.6%
-0.6%
Micromax
4.1%
+2.5%
Classic
1.9%
-
Spice
1.8%
+0.3%
Sony Ericsson
1.5%
-2.1%
Haier
1.0%
+0.1%
Motorola
0.9%
-0.7%
Karbonn
0.6%
-
Lava
0.5%
-
12.6%
-1.9%
Mobile Handset Brands
Other Brands
446 mn
(%)
Mobile User Profile

‘25-35 years’ and ‘13-18 years’ age groups have gained user base the most in last 1 year

2 out of 3 mobile users are ‘employed’; 70% of these employed ‘head’ their households

Though their proportion declined marginally, ‘housewives’ still form the second biggest
occupational group of mobile users in India. Almost 1 in 7 mobile user is a ‘student’

2/3rd of all mobile users are educated completely in ‘vernacular’ languages

Sec ‘E’ in urban areas and SEC ‘R4/R5’ combine in the rural areas have shown the highest
increase in user base in last 1 year

(suggesting a ‘deepening’ of penetration of mobiles phones in the Indian society)
‘Lower’ income class (below `6,250 MHI) becomes the single largest ‘mass’ of Indian mobile users
(40%)
Lifestyle Orientation

‘Money’ is the single biggest motivator driving lives of over half of all mobile users

‘Listening to music’ and ‘cinema’ remain their biggest hobbies. Computer games and adventure sports gain
(urban or rural)
noticeable popularity in last one year

‘Watching TV’ is their biggest indoor entertainment, followed by ‘listening to music’. ‘Watching
movies in cinema hall’ and ‘eating out’ are the most popular outdoor activities among them

While 4 out of 5 mobile users claim to watch TV, only 1 in 3 claim to read newspaper

Brand image is the biggest ‘single most important’ factor mobile users consider while buying
products or services (41%), followed by price (30%). Price becomes more important at ‘multiple factors’ consideration level
Report Details
Reporting
 Like in 2010, the India Mobile 2011 study findings will be available as querybased online datasets with findings presented as tables/graphs/charts
 There are two overall level datasets:
 India Mobile Service - with findings presented on the base of ‘all mobile service users’ and data
displayed by telecom circle types (Metro, A, B and C)
 India Mobile Handset - with findings presented on the base of ‘all mobile handset owners’ and data
displayed by city types (Metros, Tier 2, Tier 3, Tier 4)
 In addition, there are individual telecom circle-wise datasets
Note: Reporting by any telecom circle or brand in the supplement dataset is subject to collection of sufficient sample responses in the survey
Pricing*
Overall Mobile User
Level Dataset
Supplementary Level
Datasets
Single Datasets
India Mobile Service
India Mobile Handset
Rs. 250,000
Rs. 250,000
(data at all India, urban, rural and ‘circle type’
level only)
(data at all India, urban, rural and ‘city type’
level only)
Telecom Circle-wise Datasets
Rs. 100,000 per telecom circle
(data at the ‘individual telecom circle’ level only)
Combo Datasets
India Mobile Master Dataset
(data at all India, urban, rural, circle type,
city type, village type and top 20 individual
urban district levels)
+
Up to 5 telecom circle-wise
datasets

Rs. 500,000
+
6 - 12 telecom circle-wise
datasets

Rs. 700,000
+
All telecom circle-wise
datasets

Rs. 900,000
* Key Findings PowerPoint Report for any dataset (only on order) – Rs. 50,000 per dataset
* 10.3% service tax extra
Payment Terms & Delivery
•
Payment Terms
: 50% advance, 50% after delivery of all datasets/reports
•
Delivery Timeline
: Overall Level Datasets (India Mobile Service / India Mobile Handset)
Week of 15th August 2011
: Supplementary Level Datasets (telecom circle wise)
2 days thereafter from date of order
: PowerPoint Report
1 week per dataset report thereafter from date of order
•
Reporting Format
: Query access based online dataset
India Mobile 2011
(Information Coverage)
Size Estimates of Mobile Users in India
(All India, Urban/Rural, By Circles, By Operators, By Connection Tech, By Connection plan)
•
Total mobile phone using households, No. of mobile phones users per household, Total no. of connections (SIMs) and handsets in the
household, Total no. of ‘active’ connections (SIMs) and ‘active’ handsets in the household
•
Total mobile phone using individuals, ‘Total’ as well as ‘active’ mobile phones per individual (SIMs and Handsets), No. and proportion
of 3G connections, No. of 3G compatible handsets, No. of ‘dual SIM’ handsets
Geographics of Mobile Users
•
Region, State, Telecom circles, Urban/Rural, Circle Type, City Type, Village Type, Top 20 individual urban districts
Mobile Service Usage
•
Connection Usage: No. of SIMs, Service providers of all SIMs, Type of connection technology, Type of connection plan, Average
minutes talked daily, Monthly bill, Whether uses internet on any of these SIMs, Mode of accessing internet on mobile phone (or reason
for not using internet on mobile)
•
Whether switched connection using number portability with service provider switched, Likeliness of switching connection using
number portability, Likeliness of taking up a 3G connection in next 6 months
•
Service Provider of most used SIM, Voice and Data Services subscribed on this most used connection, Type and brand of mobile
applications used on this most used connection
India Mobile 2011
(Information Coverage)
Mobile Handset Usage
•
Handset Usage: No. of handsets, Handset brand, Handset price (at the time when bought)
•
Handset brand of most used SIM, Features present on this most used handset, Language used to operate this most used handset
•
Whether listens to music on mobile phone or a mobile device
Personal Demographics of Mobile Users
•
Gender, Age, Marital Status, Generational classification by age, Status in the household (CWE, other earning or dependent member of
the HH, Occupation, Individual Income (if earning)
•
Education, Medium of Education, Mother Tongue, Preferred language of reading, Religion
Personal Psychographics of Mobile Users
•
Most important priorities in life currently, Current hobbies and interests, Living celebrity currently identify with the most
•
Favorite indoor entertainment activities, Favorite outdoor entertainment activities
•
Attributes give weight-age to when buying products and services
India Mobile 2011
(Information Coverage)
Personal Consumption Habits & Lifestyle
•
Type of vehicle drives individually (car, scooter, motorcycle)
•
Whether individually has a saving account, demat account, credit card, life insurance, medical insurance
•
Whether a computer user and type of computer if used at home
•
Whether an internet user, place and device of accessing internet, frequency of accessing internet
Personal Media Usage
•
Whether use TV, Radio, Newspaper and Magazines, with duration of usage on weekdays and weekends
•
Type of TV content watched and the most watched channels for each type (Entertainment/Serials/Reality Shows, News, Movies, Music,
Business News & Info, Spiritual/Devotional, Sports, Cartoon)
•
Type of newspaper/magazine read and the most read brands for each type (Regular Newspaper, Business Newspaper, Regular
Magazine, Business Magazine)
•
Most listened to radio channels
Household’s Socio-Economic Profile
•
Family size, Family classification by lifecycle stage
•
Highest occupation & education levels in the HH, Neo-SEC Classification, CWE Occupation & Education, Conventional SEC classification
India Mobile 2011
(Information Coverage)
•
Monthly Household Income (MHI), No. of earning members in the family, Average per capita household income
•
Ownership status and size (carpet area) of house living in
•
Asset owned in the household (House, Car, Motorcycle, Scooter, Bicycle, TV, TV Connection, Fridge, Washing Machine, Air
Conditioner, Microwave, Music system, Portable music player, VCD/DVD player, Regular Camera, Digital Camera, Video Camera,
Computer, Video Games, Food processor, Water purifier, Toaster/Sandwich maker, Power backup, Landline phone, Tractor, Tube
well/Pump, Transistor/Radio)
•
Type of asset owned in the household and brand owned for the following assets (Fridge, TV, TV Connection, Washing Machine, Car,
Motorcycle, Scooter, Computer)
•
Financial asset ownerships (Saving Bank Account, Fixed Deposit, RBI/Govt. Bonds, Demat Account, Medical Insurance, Accidental
Insurance, House Insurance, Mutual Funds, Company Shares/Stocks, Chit Fund Deposits, Crop Insurance)
•
Type of currently running loans if any
Contact Details
• Address
: 7, Kehar Singh Estate, Westend Marg
Lane 2, Said-ul-Ajaib, New Delhi – 110030
• Telephone
: +91-11-29535098, +91-9811256502
• Contact Person
: Sanjay Tiwari
• Email
: sanjay@juxtconsult.com
• Website
: www.juxtconsult.com
Thank You!