25-30% smartphones will have eSIM functionality in 3 years

NEW DELHI: The eSIM functionality – which allows consumers to change operators without changing numbers – will be accessible on 25-30% smartphones in India within the next three years, German digital solutions company Giesecke+Devrient (G&D) believes.
“All major device manufacturers are currently looking at introducing eSIM functionality to the smartphones. However, we’ll first have to wait for global adoption of eSIMs to happen on the consumer side,” said Deval Sheth, managing director, Giesecke & Devrient MS India told ET.
Currently, the eSIM penetration is less than 1% in smartphones in India but it is expected to grow in the coming years, as per Counterpoint Research. The overall global eSIM market is estimated to grow from $253.8 million in 2018 to $978.3 million in 2023 at a CAGR of 31%, according to Markets&Markets.