Indians love Mobile Phones more than TV: InMobi study

Bangalore-based InMobi, the largest independent mobile advertising network, today released the findings of its Mobile Media Consumption Report for India. The study, developed with Decision Fuel, finds that mobile web users in India are increasingly influenced by mobile, with nearly a third of their media consumption time being spent on mobile devices.

According to this InMobi study, dual or second screening, the phenomenon of users spending time on additional electronic devices while watching TV, continues its upsurge.

• 63% of users now actively spend time on mobile device while watching TV, compared to 26% in 2012.
• 57% users engaging in social networking while watching TV
• 79% of Indian mobile web users plan to conduct m-commerce in the next 12 months.
• 65% of Indian mobile web users are now as comfortable with mobile advertising as they are with TV or online advertising
• 80% noticed mobile ads on their smartphone, while a majority 48% of users experience these ads on mobile apps specifically.

Observing these trends, Phalgun Raju, Vice President and General Manager, India, and Southeast Asia at InMobi comments: “The tiny mobile phone has overtaken the mighty TV in India from a media consumption perspective. With over 850 million active mobile connections in India*, the mobile marketing channel presents marketers an unprecedented opportunity to engage with the always-connected consumers. The onus is now on brands and content agencies to create compelling, engaging mobile rich media to capture consumers’ attention.”

Phalgun Raju concludes: “The Indian app market is showing strong growth, as smartphone penetration continues to accelerate with lower and lower price points and mobile consumers turn to apps. Our research shows that on an average 7.1 apps are actively used by Indian consumers over a 30-day period. This has huge implications for both publishers and advertisers as they seek to garner an audience for their offerings and monetize through advertising. ”