|
New Delhi: Be it
playing Angry Bird or watching movies on the go, a rise in the
number of low-cost smartphones has enabled young Indians to access
mobile applications like never before.
According to search engine giant Google, around 40 million Indians
access the Internet through their mobile phones and there are 30
million apps downloads in one week. A combined survey by global
market research firm IPSOS and Google found the 18-29 age-group
using smartphones the most.
"Availability of smart and feature-rich phones at low cost, low
telecom tariffs and flexibility of accessing the services on the
go have made mobile apps all the more popular in a price sensitive
country like India," Amit Sachdeva, partner, business advisory
firm Ernst & Young (E&Y), told IANS.
Low-cost smartphones in the Indian market are available at a price
as low as Rs.5,000.
"Launch of 3G services has become an added advantage. The sector
will witness a boom once 4G and LTE (long term evolution) services
are launched as well," he added.
According to Sachdeva, the most popular apps in India are the
entertainment apps such as games, music and Bollywood followed by
social networking and utility services that include paying off
electricity bills and job search.
The e-commerce segment is fast gaining popularity with services.
Deals and discounts are being accepted across the country. And
mobile banking, which has a long way to go owing to security
concerns, would soon draw customers in large numbers, he said.
Data collated by IT research firm CyberMedia showed the smartphone
sales in India surged 87 percent at 11.2 million units in 2011
over the previous year as almost 150 models were launched by more
than 30 vendors.
Unlike earlier days when pre-loaded apps like social media and
music applications were mostly used, people are now buying games,
said Virat Khutal, chief operating officer, mobile apps
development firm Twist Mobile.
Instead of spending Rs.150 or more in buying tickets for a movie
which would end in three hours, youngsters these days think why
not buy an app which would be available with you all the time even
while you are on the move, said Khutal.
According to Ditto TV, a Zee Group company which earlier this week
launched its services in India, there has been a paradigm shift in
the way Indians consume information.
"The need to be mobile has become an indispensable one and the
role of internet-enabled devices paramount," said Vishal Malhotra,
business head, New Media, Zee Business Enterprises.
"We are seeing a substantial response to mobile devices that allow
users to have access anywhere, anytime. This has spurred the
growth of applications which has developed into a full-fledged
market," he told IANS.
The firm is bullish about the Indian apps market and is planning
to tap an audience ready for entertainment on the go.
"We are looking at a subscriber base of one million users by the
end of our first year," Malhotra said.
Ditto TV provides live channel-agnostic TV content and would soon
incorporate features such as catch-up TV by which users will be
able to share information related to shows, content that they
like.
(Priyanka Sahay can be reached at priyanka.sahay@ians.in and biz@ians.in)
|
Comments
|
Quick links