India embraces digital streaming
Details
Rebecca Hawkes
| 02 August 2019

Over two-thirds (69%)of Indians feel digital technology has made a ‘significant improvement’ in their lives, with 41% downloading or watch movies and TV shows online every day, according to a new survey.

Streaming has also become the most common way to access digital media in India, with 59% of respondents choosing to stream movies and TV shows online rather than download or purchase physical copies.

However, more than one third (44%) of those who participated would still prefer to watch a film in a cinema theatre instead of online or on TV, according to the State of Digital Lifestyles research report from edge cloud services provider Limelight Networks.

In terms of music, 53% of respondents stream music online rather than download or purchase CDs, with 52% of Indian consumers listening to digital music every day.

Frustrations with digital content remain, but consumers are hopeful for improvements with 5G. The vast majority (90%) of Indian consumers expressed frustrations with digital content, but 88% expect 5G networking will bring faster download speeds, said the report.

Smartphones are now considered as an essential tool by most consumers, Over 86% said they would not be willing to give up their smartphone for more than one day and only 4% were willing to stop using them permanently.

Digital assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home are becoming increasingly popular, with 68% of Indians either owning one or planning to buy it within six months, Limelight Networks found. However, data security was a concern for 46% of Indians with regards to digital assistants.

Overall, an overwhelming majority (94%) of Indian consumers think online digital technology has improved their lives.

Ashwin Rao, Indian sales director, 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."