Indians spent 522 hours on online education, 738 hours on infotainment in pandemic year, finds report

In the pandemic year, most Indians spent over 522 hours on online education on average, and over 738 hours on infotainment on their smartphones, a new report showed on Monday. While 56 per cent smartphone users enrolled for new online education programmes since the pandemic began, 58 per cent smartphone users undertook digital transactions on their smartphones, according to the survey by CyberMediaResearch (CMR), a Gurugram-based market research firm.

Indians are spending close to Rs 8,500 on average, mostly for digital payments a month and 28 per cent smartphone users are spending around Rs 1,000 on infotainment monthly. "Whether it be online education, digital payments, or consuming infotainment, the smartphone has enabled consumers across urban and aspirational (tier-III cities and beyond) divides," said Prabhu Ram, Head-Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CMR.

"For the value-conscious buyers in the sub-Rs 7,000 smartphone segment, smartphone brands have consistently focused on bringing increasingly accessible and affordable smartphones," he added. In purchasing their next smartphone, consumers trust recommendations from loved ones (79 per cent) as well as retailers (77 per cent).

City wise, smartphone brand iTel has got 100 per cent satisfaction in Bengaluru, Chandigarh and Guwahati, Realme has got 100 per cent satisfaction in Delhi, Kolkata and Jaipur, and Xiaomi has got 100 per cent satisfaction in Lucknow, Bhubaneswar and Indore. Samsung wins for the ease of availability, product quality, and good after-sales service, the survey noted.

"For consumers in the sub-INR 7,000 smartphone segment, the top three key considerations for smartphones include accessibility, affordability and availability. They trust smartphone brands that offer durable devices, focus on trendy smartphone specs, and deliver on reliable after-sales," said Satya Sundar Mohanty, Head-Industry Consulting Group (ICG), CMR.