Digital Consumer in India

Rising internet penetration and smartphone usage continue to spur development

The development of India’s digital consumer market continued during 2020 as greater numbers of consumers than ever before engaged with e-commerce and the digital landscape. Key to the ongoing development of the digital consumer market is rising internet penetration, with rising smartphone ownership and huge growth in the numbers of mobile internet subscriptions driving greater digital participation and expanding the scope of the digital consumer market.

Streaming services boom due to social distancing and home seclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic and the official response to it led to a huge boom being seen in consumer demand for streaming services during 2020. In particular, the various quarantine lockdowns that were imposed upon the Indian population at various points during the year led to many people searching for convenience at-home entertainment options, to the benefit of the leading content streaming platforms.

The primacy of mobile internet remains a major feature of the digital landscape

As mentioned above, smartphones remains the dominant type of device used by Indian consumers to access the internet. The main reason for this are the much lower prices charged for smartphones than for either desktops or laptops, which makes them far more appealing to India’s famously price-sensitive consumers.

Transport, lodging and foodservice struggle to generate revenues during 2020

The unprecedented situation that unfolded over the course of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on numerous categories of e-commerce. Among the industries hardest hit by the impact of the pandemic were transport, lodging and foodservice, all of which experienced lower demand due to the requirement for operators in these industries to close their businesses down for the duration of the various quarantine lockdowns that were imposed during the year.

Rapid development expected to be seen in India’s digital consumer market

Numerous developments of major importance to the future development of India’s digital landscape are expected to be seen during the forecast period. Among the most important of these is the Prime Minister Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (PM Wani), the government’s core project for improving wireless internet connectivity throughout the country.