These influential groups have been found to consumer mobile apps in ways that reflect the country’s seismic modernization and social-economic development.

In a study of the usage metrics of over 300 mobile apps in India with an average monthly user base of more than 4 million across different verticals, it was found that female users (who are said to drive over 70% of purchasing decisions in the country) accounted for 28% of app consumption, while users living in rural areas accounted for 16.4% of app consumption.

The usage behavior was broken down by location (urban/rural); by gender across verticals (fintech, edutech; media and entertainment; health and fitness; travel and transportation; e-commerce; social engagement); by responses to engagement campaigns across different channels and verticals; and Uninstall rates across verticals.

In total, more than 782 billion push notifications, 52 billion emails, and 10 billion in-app notifications were analyzed during the undisclosed analysis period.

Here are the key findings:

  • Women in the study accounted for 37%, 32.5% and 31% of usage in edutech, social media and fintech, respectively, and were major consumers of products and services in these sectors.
  • Indian women in the data outpaced men in e-commerce app usage, accounting for 54% of all usage.
  • Indian men in the data accounted for a significant share of app interaction across several key verticals, including gaming (94%), travel and transportation (84%), on-demand services (78%) and media and entertainment (77%). Overall, men accounted for 72% of mobile usage in the data captured for analysis.
  • Uninstall rates were highest in the gaming (44%) and social engagement (46%) sectors. Sectors where users perceived a high degree of value and convenience had the lowest uninstall rates: on-demand services (21%) and health and fitness (25%).
  • In the rural group, edutech (19.2%), media and entertainment (17.7%) and fintech (17%) stood out as verticals that attracted a disproportionately large number of rural users. Adoption rates for health and fitness (13.2%) were at the low end of the scale, but personalized strategies such as goal setting and reminder functionality were very popular.
  • Among urban users, adoption rates for health and fitness, e-commerce and travel and transportation were nearing saturation levels (85% and above).

According to Sidharth Malik, Global CEO, CleverTap, the firm that commissioned the study: “Global events have radically changed consumer behavior, particularly among (female users in India), who now rely on apps as the go-to channel for all aspects of their lives. Similarly, rural users have come to depend on apps to make transactions or continue their education, and now view apps as a means to improve their lives. Understanding the striking and significant differences among user segments and preferences is the critical first step for companies to connect, convert and ultimately grow retention and lifetime value.”