One in four Indians uses only a mobile phone for everything from Netflix to social media
A Kantar survey reveals a significant shift in Indian media consumption, with 23% relying solely on mobile phones for entertainment in early 2025, up from 15% in 2023. This trend, driven by affordable smartphones and data plans, benefits companies like Netflix and Starlink seeking growth in India. Surging e-commerce further expands digital access, particularly in rural areas, impacting various industries.
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Nearly one in four Indians said in a survey they use only mobile phones to consume entertainment and media content, ditching television, in a telling sign for firms from Netflix Inc. to Starlink Inc. seeking growth in the world's largest consumer market.The number of users who only use digital channels ballooned to 23% in the March quarter of 2025, according to market research firm Kantar's Media Compass report this week, which surveyed 87,000 Indians across the country. That compares with 15% in the same period in 2023.The smartphone-only audience is skewed toward the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum, along with more rural users and men, said Puneet Avasthi, director of specialist businesses at Kantar's Insights Division for South Asia.Booming internet access, spurred by affordable smartphones and monthly mobile phone tariffs as low as $4, has made India among the largest digital consumer bases. This trend will help finetune marketing strategies of global media giants, including Amazon.com Inc.'s Prime Video and Meta Platforms Inc.'s Instagram, which are seeking more subscribers in the nation with more than 1.4 billion consumers.Satellite internet in India is also set to get a boost, with Starlink receiving approval from India's telecom ministry to roll out its services capping a years-long effort by Elon Musk's firm.Digital platforms provide potential for a 'very wide basket of categories' to grow among India's masses, Avasthi said. Surging e-commerce presence is allowing consumers to buy products that are not otherwise available in rural markets with 'the click of a button,' he added.From electrical appliance firms like Voltas Ltd. who benefit from deepening electrification to soft drink and snack sellers, multiple industries are targeting rural audiences, Avasthi said.Online marketplaces like Softbank Group Corp.-backed Meesho and Walmart Inc.-backed Flipkart are also deepening their penetration in smaller towns in India by selling more affordable products, riding on the growing digital presence of Indian buyers.Netflix offers a mobile-only plan for as little as 149 rupees ($1.72) in the country, with other providers also offering similar mobile-only experiences.Apart from mobile phones, the more premium option of connected TV, which allows users to watch television as well as access the internet, has emerged as a 'strong segment' with 35 million users being added in the quarter, according to the Kantar report.
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