Thumbs up for ‘Digital India’

Indian consumers overwhelmingly (69 per cent) agree that digital technology has positively impacted their lives according to the “State of Digital Lifestyles” research report from Limelight Networks. The survey of consumers in nine countries shows digital device adoption is on the rise, but performance frustrations and security concerns remain.

Digital assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home are becoming increasingly popular, with 68 per cent Indians either owning one or planning to buy it within 6 months. Also, as the popularity of smartphones is growing, they are now being considered as an essential tool by most consumers with over 86 per cent saying they would not be willing to give them up for more than one day and only 4 per cent willing to stop using them permanently. Striking the same chord, when asked how long they could avoid using their desktop or laptop computer, just 23 per cent of Indian consumers said they can avoid them for more than one day, and only 4 per cent willing to give them up permanently.

The growth of digital technology has created new concerns, however, with 61 per cent of the Indian respondents saying they are more worried about personal information being stolen online than a year ago. For digital assistants, 46 per cent of Indians expressed concerns about data privacy.

Technology has had a positive impact on society. The overwhelming majority (94 per cent) of Indian consumers say online digital technology has improved their lives. Notably, over two-third (69 per cent) Indians feel digital technology has made a ‘significant improvement’ in their lives – or more than double of the figure of the US respondents.

Many people interact with digital media daily. Every day, 52 per cent of Indian consumers listen to digital music and 41 per cent download or watch movies and TV shows online. In India, streaming has also become the most common way to access digital media, with 59 per cent choosing to stream movies and TV shows online rather than download or purchase physical copies and 53 per cent streaming music online rather than downloading or purchasing CDs.

Frustrations with digital content remain, but consumers are hopeful for improvement with 5G. The vast majority (90 per cent) of the Indian consumers expresses frustrations with digital content, but 88 per cent expect 5G networking will bring faster download speeds. Consumer awareness of 5G networking varies from a high of 97 per cent in South Korea to a low of 71 per cent in Japan.

Consumers are enjoying online experiences. With the advent of digital technologies, online e-commerce platforms and movie theatres remain popular with consumers. More than two-third of the Indian consumers (67.2 per cent) prefer to shop online rather than offline. However, more than one-third (44 per cent) would still watch a movie in a theatre instead of online or on TV.

Speaking about the survey, Ashwin Rao, Director - Sales (India), Limelight Networks said, “India is on a rapid growth trajectory in terms of digital adoption. More people are assimilating digital technologies into their day-to-day lifestyles as the perception continues to improve on the ground. With it, we are witnessing the rise of a ‘New’, digitally-empowered India. This year’s ‘State of Digital Lifestyles’ report is showing us the digital pulse of the nation with some of the very fascinating takeaways.”