Rural India puts smartphone-buying plans on hold

Smartphone sales in rural parts of the country have stopped rising with its share remaining stagnant since mid-2021 at around 35-40 per cent of total smartphone sales in the country, a report in the Economic Times said.

The report includes two independent research studies that found that the sales have been held up because of spending weakness in the smaller towns and villages, and not inflation.

According to research firm IDC India, in 2022, out of the 122 million smartphones sold throughout the country, around 35-40 per cent were bought in rural areas. The number remained the same in the first quarter of this year.