Comprehensive Modular Survey: Telecom, 2025

In the three months preceding the survey, mobile phone usage in India was high among individuals aged 15 years and above. Among those aged 15–24, 97.8 per cent of men and 96.1 per cent of women used mobile phones, with an overall usage rate of 97 per cent. Among all persons aged 15 years and above, 91.4 per cent of men and 79.8 per cent of women used mobile phones, resulting in an overall usage rate of 85.7 per cent.

As of the survey date, mobile phone ownership in India was at 70.2 per cent among people aged 15 years and above – 83.9 per cent among men and 56.2 per cent among women. In the 15-24 age group, 77.5 per cent of men and 57.2 per cent of women owned a phone, 67.8 per cent overall.

In the three months before the survey, 70 per cent of survey respondents (aged 15 years and above) had used the internet at least once. Internet usage was recorded higher among men (76.7 per cent) than women (63.1 per cent). Internet usage among people in the 15-24 years age group was considerably higher at 94.3 per cent – 96.1 per cent among men and 92.3 per cent among women.

Among individuals aged 15 years and above who used the internet in the three months preceding the survey, the majority accessed it via mobile phones using mobile data – 98.1 per cent in rural areas and 88.6 per cent in urban areas. Internet access via mobile phones with wi-fi was 1.3 per cent in rural and 9.5 per cent in urban areas.

In the three months prior to the survey, 32.6 per cent of individuals aged 15-24 years reported creating electronic presentations using mobile or computer-like devices – 34.7 per cent men and 30.3 per cent women. The percentage fell when looking at the broader age group of 15 years and above. Around 24.2 per cent respondents possessed the skill of making presentations and had used in the three months prior to the survey – 27.5 per cent of men and 20.8 per cent of women.

As per the survey, 48.9 per cent of people aged 15 years and above reported having the ability to perform online banking transactions. The number was higher among men (60.5 per cent) than among women (37 per cent). Conversely, at 68 per cent, people in the age group of 15-24 years reported greater ability in this area. However, here too, the number was higher among men (77.1 per cent) than women (58 per cent).

At the all-India level, 1.9 per cent of households had a landline phone (1.3 per cent in rural areas and 2.8 per cent in urban areas). Around 53 per cent of rural households and 70 per cent of urban households possessed only a smartphone, while those with a mobile phone other than a smart phone made up 9.7 per cent (12.3 percent in rural and 5.3 per cent in urban areas).

At the all-India level, 86.3 per cent of households had internet access within their premises – 83.3 per cent in rural and 91.6 per cent in urban areas. Categorised by the type of network, most households in rural (98.9 per cent) and urban (98.9 per cent) areas reported having a mobile network. Prevalence of fixed/wifi networks was very low at 9.1 per cent in rural and 24 per cent in urban areas. Only 14.5 per cent of surveyed households had both fixed/Wi-Fi and mobile networks on their premises, the number being much lower in rural areas (8.8 per cent) than in urban areas (23.5 per cent).

Around 16 per cent of rural households had made an online purchase of goods in the 30 days preceding the survey. For urban households, the percentage was more than double at 39.4.

Focus and Factoids by Aseema.