Digital Consumption Survey Post Digital India Initiative

From Bollywood, classical, Punjabi pop to popular renditions by international musicians, Indians are known for their eclectic taste in music. With so many options, it comes as no surprise that music is the most downloaded type of digital content in the country as per the Limelight Networks’ ‘State of Digital Downloads’ report for 2017. The study conducted across 7 countries reveals Indians download music more often than they download new applications, which is the most popular content downloaded among all other countries surveyed.

Highlighting consumers’ shifting demand for both streaming and downloaded content, India shows some interesting facts in digital consumption compared to other surveyed countries. The annual report found that only 4.2% of Indian respondents still prefer to rent or purchase DVDs of movies and TV shows, and only 23.4% prefer hard copies of books or traditional print media. In comparison, almost 90% (89.4%) prefer to stream or download TV shows and movies, while 62.2% of respondents prefer to download books, newspapers, and magazines. When it comes to music, 68% of respondents noted they prefer to download music over streaming or purchasing a CD.

Michael Milligan, Senior Director, Product and Solution Marketing, Limelight Networks said, “India, a young country that’s fast-paced on digitisation and tech transformation, has revealed some of the most interesting trends during the course of the survey. Our report indicates that this high-potential country, which is gradually gaining centre-stage in the global forefront, contradicts global trends on many accounts and has its own unique preferences and consumption patterns. It therefore needs a similar, unconventional method on the part of service providers to tap its burgeoning digital market.”

Some of the other key findings of the report included:

· Consumers are turning to mobile applications to access information. Respondents reported downloading content to smartphones more often than PCs, tablets, or other devices. In addition, more than 50% of Indians reported they download more applications and upgrades to apps than they did a year ago. This demonstrates a clear shift in their information consumption patterns.

· Consumers expect seamless downloads. 42% of Indian respondents cited disrupted downloading as their top frustration. Starting all over again after beginning a download was noted to be the most significant problem for Indian consumers of digital content.

· Consumers want to download for free. When it comes to accessing digital media, 66.7% of Indian consumers will only download an application if it’s free, and 63.3% of consumers will only download music if it’s free.

However, when it comes to movies and TV shows, consumers in India are more amenable to paying for content, with 34.6% noting that they will pay for quality content if they can’t download it for free.

· The Internet of Things (IoT) hasn’t gained widespread adoption. Only 15.6% of Indian consumers have an internet-connected digital assistant, and only 18.30% have a smart thermostat. A meagre 25.2% plan to purchase a device such as Amazon Alexa or Google Home Assistant in the next 1-2 years, while 43.4% of respondents claimed they have no intention to purchase something like the Nest Thermostat.

The “State of Digital Downloads” report was based on a survey of 3,500 consumers ranging in age, gender, and education in France, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, the UK, and the U.S.