Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, the global leader in mobile and technology panel research, today announced the company has further expanded its research coverage with the launch of a new consumer panel in India this month.
Consisting of more than 20,000 individual consumers, the new panel represents the influential and growing Indian urban population of age 15 and over – a category representing more than five hundred million people.
Building on Kantar Worldpanel long term partnership with leading Indian market research IMRB International, the new panel will submit 100,000 interviews a year on their own purchasing behavior, usage, billing, carrier and vendor brand awareness and preference for mobile phones and tablets.That data will be reported to Kantar Worldpanel ComTech clients quarterly, starting in October 2015.
“Projections show that India will soon be the second largest smartphone market in the world after the US,” said Nic Lewisohn, managing director at Kantar Worldpanel Comtech. “We believe our longitudinal service provides the most detailed, consistent and reliable data for our clients, both vendors and carriers, enabling them to take full advantage of the opportunities this vast market represents. By covering 18 out of the 22 Telecom Circles, our panel will provide critical, decision-grade information for minimizing risks and maximizing ROI in one of the most complex telecom markets in the world.”
Hemant Mehta, senior vice president, IMRB International said, “Telecom industry is one of the most competitive and complex businesses in India today. While on one hand the industry is being challenged by the advent of new technologies like the 4G, the consumer is out pacing the industry by constantly evolving. Rapid growth of smart phone ownership, usage of mobile internet and growing adoption of digital services makes it imperative that service providers and device manufacturers have a continuous check on the pulse of the Indian telecom consumers. We are glad to extend our partnership with Kantar Worldpanel and bring their global offer of ComTech to the market. With the launch of this service, India joins the ComTech network spanning 13 other countries including the US, the UK, China, Brazil, Russia and Japan.”
Kantar Worldpanel ComTech knows what consumers own; how, when, and what devices they plan to buy as well as what they actually buy, and how they use each device over time. By gathering consumer’s feelings, opinions, and intentions at various stages during their purchase process, as well as the actions they take, Kantar unlocks recommendations that are consumer behavior-led, personal, and measured – and often challenge accepted views. Surveying the same consumers overtime is the only way proven method for fully understanding consumer behavior throughout the purchase and ownership cycle.
The new Indian panel adds to Kantar Worldpanel ComTech’s already extensive coverage of key global technology markets, including Europe (UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Russia), the Americas (United States, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina), and Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Australia).