India’s Digital Consumers Race to Win The Next Billion Intensifies

The 20,000 Foot View:  A large portion of the globe’s next one billion digital consumers are going to come online in India. These consumers are characterised by swift adoption of digital spending habits, having leapfrogged PCs and experiencing the internet for the first time via mobile phones. The leaders of this shift to the online world are messaging app users, music streamers and video subscribers – collectively representing the most sophisticated consumer bases in India. They spend a large proportion of their time with digital content – a considerable amount of these consumers have three or more digital subscriptions to content. Their relationship with advertising is complex and nuanced. They are adept at avoiding unwanted messaging and, conversely, even more proactive in seeking the messages from brands that they want to hear. Crucially, when presented with the right digital purchase opportunity, a majority of video subscribers in India will spend digital cash. 

Key Findings

• Amidst a            of ad skipping, monetising India’s            via messaging apps will become            important
           of Indian consumers switch their attention away from TV ads, rising to            of messaging app users,            of music streamers and            of video subscribers             of Indian messaging app users skip ads online compared to the weighted average of           
• Well targeted,            adverts deployed via music streaming            are an alternative way to            Indian consumers that use ad           
           of Indian video subscribers use desktop ad blockers compared to the weighted average of                       of Indian messaging app users use mobile ad blockers compared to the weighted average of           
• Mobile ads            don’t include purchase opportunities will            to exploit the growing appetite            consumer goods in India 
• Indian consumers            significant propensity to purchase in            mobile context;            of video subscribers            to download apps or make            purchases
           of Indian messaging app users pay attention to relevant advertising, compared to the weighted average of           
• Indian video            are            times more likely to            three or more digital subscriptions,            targeting opportunities and challenges for            brands

Companies and brands mentioned in this report: Eros, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, FlipKart, Google, Hike, Paytm, Reliance, Spotify, Tez, WeChat