Indus OS expects 5X boost in internet consumption with Reliance Jio

BANGALORE, INDIA: Indus OS, the regional language mobile OS is expecting a whopping 5X growth in data traffic by CY 2016, on the back of the impending Reliance Jio launch. The OS-maker claims to be the second most used OS in India after Android with over 4.5 million users.

It says that its users are consuming 956 MB (3G data) on their smartphones per month, citing Counterpoint Research data which is 30% more than the Indian average of 735 MB of 3G data, including Stock Android. This is due to the OS’ simplicity, accessibility and regional language content available on its app marketplace - App Baazar.

Indus OS expects Indian data usage is expected to surge 5 fold, with the introduction of 4G LTE and ultra-low data prices on account of Reliance Jio. India’s current mobile data usage is still one-third of the global average of 957 MB. This is set to change with Reliance Jio’s network offering the lowest data prices in the world. With Jio’s entry, India is now expected to break the 1GB/month usage barrier very soon and be amongst the top 10 mobile data consumers in the world by 2020.

Indus OS' features have allowed its users a gateway to the world of Internet. Indus OS’ regional app marketplace, App Bazaar ( www.appbazaar.com ) allows users to download and pay for apps without e-mail IDs and credit cards. While features such as the patented regional keyboards, text-to-speech, translate and transliterate, with simplified experience have attributed to easier smartphone adoption and higher Internet usage.

Rakesh Deshmukh, co-founder and CEO, Indus OS said, “With more than 90% of the Indian population being non-English speaking, the arrival of Reliance Jio translates into a big opportunity for Indians to experience the power of the Internet, and for Indus OS to further our reach.”

The average time spent per day by Indians on Indus OS smartphones is 3 hours and with the plethora of content provided by Jio Apps, this is expected to rise to over 4 hours. Also, the media consumption on Indus OS smartphones is expected to double (over 1 hour) by the end of the year. Currently, the highest contribution is attributed to the consumption of Media (20%), followed by Messaging (14%), Browser (8%) and Games (7%).

Tarun Pathak, Senior Analyst at Counterpoint Research said, “The proliferation of high speed LTE networks in India will change the way users consume data going forward. 4G capable smartphones and 4G network together will shape the user behavior in consuming more digital content on their devices.”

Indus OS is currently available across Micromax, Celkon and Swipe, and a total of over 40 smartphone models. The company is in advanced talks with other leading domestic and international smartphone brands for similar partnerships and plans to reach 100 million in the next 3 years.