Indian consumers keen to use wearables and voice-activated technologies for shopping

NEW DELHI: Indian consumers are embracing technology much like their global counterparts which is impacting the way they consume everything from streaming services, banking and online shopping, according to the findings of a survey commissioned by MiQ, along with Sapio Research.

Over the next two years, Indian consumers will use more wearable and voice-activated technologies to shop than their desktops, according to the India-specific findings of the global survey. Moreover, the consumers here are particularly keen on investing in new technology with 42% of the respondents saying that they are frequently among the first to buy new technology as soon as it’s released, with an additional 37% saying that they wait for reviews but also buy shortly it after that.

Bengaluru based analytics firms MiQ, along with Sapio Research, commissioned a global survey to map emerging consumer trends. In all, 5,630 consumers across the UK, US, China, Australia, Singapore, Canada, Germany and India were surveyed for the report that gives a peek into trends such as technology adoption, media consumption, eating habits, use of connected devices, among others. The report focuses on how such trends will shape up consumer behaviour over the next few years.

The survey also noted that people like to buy travel services online. While 90% of Indians prefer shopping for travel services online, the remaining 10% prefer to buy these services offline. Again, 35% of the respondents said they would like to buy food online. This, the report said, "can unearth a sizeable market opportunity for providers who can bridge the gap between a highly connected urbanized population and challenges around infrastructure and logistics."

The report added that as data gets cheaper, Indians will buy into newer devices being offered by local and foreign companies. As a result, adoption of wearables and voice-activated technologies will pick speed.

Over the next two years, the use of desktop for shopping is likely to decrease by 24%, whereas wearable (96%) and voice (200%) technology for ordering goods is likely to increase in the country that now counts itself among the top smart phone markets in the world. Globally, too, in just two years, 25% of respondents plan to use voice activated devices to purchase online–-up from just 8% who do so today.

Interestingly, a lot of Indians are also showing preference for connected devices. Close to 60% of Indians say that in five years time they will be using connected devices to purchase products or services at least once a day but only 29% want to have a fully connected home. In fact, 73% of Indians say that better home security is the biggest benefit of a connected home.

When it comes to consuming news, websites and online is the preferred platform for news and information about current events (36%) in the country where traditional news mediums such as newspapers and TV have long dominated the news landscape.