Telecom firms can earn $15 billion additional revenue if they bridge ‘gender gap’; finds survey

Indian women are less likely to own a mobile phone than their male counterparts, revealed a recent survey by GSMA. While 80% of the Indian male population possess a phone, only 59% of the female population own it. The same echoes in the internet usage gap as a meagre 16% of the female population is likely to have access to mobile internet as opposed to 36% of males.

For those with the view that the talks about gender gap are far-fetched, the survey could be an eye-opener. In low and middle-income countries, the divide translates to 184 million fewer women who own a mobile phone. Topping that, over 1.2 billion women do not have access to mobile internet.