Sheer size of untapped Indian mobile market offers huge potential for operators

DUBLIN, IRELAND: Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "India: Sheer Size of Untapped Mobile Market Offers Huge Potential for Operators" report to its offering.

In India, a combination of higher disposable income, low teledensity in rural areas, intense competition, low prices, and the availability of more affordable low-cost devices will enable mobile operators to add an astounding 125 million net additions on average per year through 2015 more than any other country around the world, according to this new report.

India: Sheer Size of Untapped Mobile Market Offers Huge Potential for Operators offers a precise profile of the country's telecommunications, media, and technology sectors based on proprietary data from Pyramid's research in the market. It provides detailed competitive analysis of both the fixed and mobile sectors, tracks the market shares of technologies and services, and monitors the introduction and spread of new technologies.

Home to a growing population of 1.2 billion people, India is one of the fastest-growing telecom markets around the globe. "The country's telecom service revenue will be worth US$45.5 billion in 2010, ranking third in Asia/Pacific behind Japan and China," says Luis Portela, Analyst At Large for Pyramid.

"Pyramid Research expects it to grow at a 9.4 percent CAGR through 2015, when telecom will generate US$71.3 billion in service revenue. Booming economic performance, a growing population, an expanding middle class, and a relatively low service penetration give India tremendous growth prospects."

"The mobile sector will be the main growth driver, accounting for 71 percent of the country's telecom services pie by 2015," Portela says. "In spite of intense competition among the 15 existing players and increasing downward price pressures, mobile voice revenue will advance at a 8.1 percent CAGR during the 2010-2015 period; at the same time mobile data service revenue will grow at a 27.3 percent CAGR, fueled by increasing adoption of 3G and of services, such as music, video, and broadband access," he explains. "By 2015, Pyramid expects mobile subscriptions to reach 1.2 billion, equivalent to a 100 percent penetration rate, which will grow from 64 percent in 2010."

Piggybacking on the country's astonishing economic performance, India's telecom market is set to continue booming in the years to come. A combination of higher disposable income, low teledensity in rural areas and the availability of low-cost devices has enabled mobile operators to tap into rural India, providing the context for strong mobile growth.

This will continue over the forecast period at an astounding 125m average net subscription additions per year through 2015, when we expect mobile subscriptions to reach 1.3bn, equivalent to 100% penetration.

The mobile sector will be the main growth driver, with mobile voice revenue advancing at a 8.1 percent CAGR during the 2010-15 period (in contrast to 2.7 percent for Asia-Pacific as a whole) and mobile data service revenue growing at a 27.3 percent CAGR during the same period.

Though not as large, the fixed broadband and pay-TV sectors also present good growth opportunities.