Shangliao Sun
Research expert covering India
Mobile communications in India - statistics & facts
The telecommunication market across India was the second largest in the world. The subscriber base was over 1.1 billion at the end of 2022. Strong consumer demand and favorable policies from the Indian government played an instrumental role in the growth of the industry. The first commercial mobile phone service in India was launched by Modi Group along with the Australian telecom giant, Telstra. Because of the high call rates per minute, only the top income earners were able to use mobile phones back then. However, since the 1990’s, mobile communication in India has become more and more popular, and the services provided went beyond just texting and calling.
Mobile devices
With a variety of smartphones and internet packages flooding the market, mobile communication became an integral part of everyday life. The smartphone industry in India saw a steady growth over the years, around 71 percent of all Indian mobile subscribers owned at least one smartphone in 2023. Xiaomi and Samsung rank prominently as leading smartphone brands in India, drawing significant consumer interest. Additionally, the iPhone has witnessed a growing popularity in the country, fueled by increasing purchasing power.Service providers and usage
Various private operators have taken over the wireless market, leading to a fierce competition for the leading position in the mobile service market, mostly among Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea and Airtel, with Reliance Jio leading the market. Initiatives such as “Digital India” and “Make in India” also provided huge employment opportunities in the mobile manufacturing industry in the country since 2014. It was expected that 3G would be phased out before the end of the decade or sooner, and by the end of 2028, around 700 million of mobile subscriptions would be with 5G technology. With the onset of 5G technology providing faster connection and better bandwidth, and the push to cashless society by the coronavirus pandemic, the use of mobile services has been on the rise.
