Usage & attitude study
SIM Card Adoption Behaviour in India
In a Hercules survey of 995 weighted mobile users across India's four regions, Reliance Jio leads primary SIM share at 49.4%, 71.5% keep a second SIM and 5G is on 56.9% of primary SIMs. Loyalty is weak. 73.7% say they are likely to switch provider within three to six months.
Explore the findingsNearly double Airtel at 26.0%
Keep more than one active connection
Network technology on the primary SIM
Based on 995 completed responses. Usage & attitude study.
What we set out to answer, and what we found
After the tariff hikes, what actually holds a mobile customer?
Where does primary SIM share sit now?
We mapped which operator holds the connection used most often for data and voice, and how that changes across monthly spend tiers.
How normal is a second SIM?
We measured how common multi-SIM use is, and whether it rises with spend.
How far has 5G spread, and how good is the service?
We tracked the network technology on the primary SIM and the network issues users had in the last 30 days.
How have tariff hikes affected loyalty?
We tested reactions to recent tariff increases, along with switching intent and advocacy.
Jio has moved up-market. Reliance Jio started as the budget disruptor and now leads the premium tiers. It holds 49.4% of primary SIM share overall and 55.8% in the ₹501 to ₹1,000 spend tier, 6.4 points above its average.
The ₹201 to ₹500 tier is the biggest churn risk. It has the highest 5G adoption (60.9%) but the lowest satisfaction, with only 13.2% reporting no network issues against 19.8% in the ₹501 to ₹1,000 tier.
5G is now the minimum. 5G is on 56.9% of primary SIMs, and mid-tier spenders have adopted it more than the highest spenders (60.9% vs 58.4%). Without 5G, a provider will struggle to hold mid-market customers.
Network performance decides the next fight. High-value users stay unhappily. They are 25% more likely to remain with their provider despite tariff hikes, but 1.3 times more likely to report gaming latency.
A second SIM is a backup. 71.5% keep a second SIM, rising to 74.8% among those spending over ₹1,000 a month, who use it to cover for primary network failures.
Switching Intent
Likely or highly likely to port within 3 to 6 months
Jio holds 49.4% of primary SIMs, nearly double Airtel
Primary SIM provider
Base: 995 respondents (weighted)
View the data behind this chart
| Answer | Share |
|---|---|
| Reliance Jio | 49.4% |
| Airtel | 26% |
| Vi (Vodafone Idea) | 14.7% |
| BSNL | 9% |
Primary provider share by monthly spend
% of each spend tier (n=175, 345, 249, 226)
View the data behind this chart
| Reliance Jio | Airtel | Vi | BSNL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under ₹200 | 34.8% | 26.8% | 22.2% | 15.4% |
| ₹201 to ₹500 | 54.2% | 26.1% | 11.9% | 6.4% |
| ₹501 to ₹1,000 | 55.8% | 25.7% | 12% | 5.6% |
| Above ₹1,000 | 46.5% | 25.7% | 15.9% | 11.9% |
01. Jio leads at 49.4%, nearly double Airtel at 26.0%. Vi holds 14.7% and BSNL 9.0%.
02. In the ₹501 to ₹1,000 bracket Jio holds 55.8%, 6.4 points above its overall average. In the budget segment under ₹200 its lead over Airtel narrows to 8 points, and BSNL is at its strongest there with 15.4%.
03. Airtel sits at roughly 26% in every spend level, so it is not gaining extra share in the higher-value segments.
71.5% keep more than one active SIM
Maintain a secondary SIM
Base: 995 respondents (weighted)
View the data behind this chart
| Answer | Share |
|---|---|
| More than one SIM | 71.5% |
| Single SIM | 28.5% |
Secondary SIM adoption by monthly spend
% of each spend tier
View the data behind this chart
| Answer | Share |
|---|---|
| Under ₹200 | 68.6% |
| ₹201 to ₹500 | 71.6% |
| ₹501 to ₹1,000 | 70.3% |
| Above ₹1,000 | 74.8% |
01. 71.5% maintain more than one active connection. Only 28.5% rely on a single SIM.
02. Adoption peaks at 74.8% among those spending above ₹1,000 a month and is lowest at 68.6% under ₹200. The mid-market tiers sit around 71%.
03. That 6.2-point gap means the most profitable customers are the most likely to split their spend across providers.
5G reaches majority status at 56.9% of primary SIMs
Network technology on the primary SIM
Base: 995 respondents (weighted)
View the data behind this chart
| Answer | Share |
|---|---|
| 5G | 56.9% |
| 4G / LTE | 29.5% |
| 3G / 2G | 6.83% |
| Unsure | 6.73% |
5G adoption by monthly spend
% of each spend tier
View the data behind this chart
| Answer | Share |
|---|---|
| Under ₹200 | 43.4% |
| ₹201 to ₹500 | 60.9% |
| ₹501 to ₹1,000 | 60.2% |
| Above ₹1,000 | 58.4% |
01. 56.9% use 5G on their primary SIM and nearly 30% remain on 4G/LTE. 13.5% are on legacy 3G/2G or unsure of their connection type.
02. Adoption peaks in the ₹201 to ₹500 tier at 60.9%, ahead of the highest spenders at 58.4%.
03. The lowest spenders are the slowest to move. 22.3% are on legacy technology or unsure, and their 5G adoption of 43.4% trails by about 15 points. The report links this to device costs, and not to service availability.
Slow data speeds hit 32.3%, and the mid-tier is worst served
Network issues experienced in the last 30 days
Base: 995 respondents (weighted), multi-select
View the data behind this chart
| Answer | Share |
|---|---|
| Slow data speeds | 32.3% |
| High latency or ping (gaming issues) | 27.4% |
| Poor indoor coverage | 25.6% |
| Call drops | 23.3% |
| Delayed SMS or OTPs | 22.8% |
| No issues experienced | 24% |
01. Slow data speeds affect 32.3% of respondents, and only 24.0% report no issues. Over three-quarters face at least one service problem.
02. The ₹201 to ₹500 tier is the worst served, with only 13.2% reporting no issues against 19.8% in the ₹501 to ₹1,000 tier.
03. High latency makes up 17.5% of issues reported by those spending above ₹1,000 against 14.4% for the lowest spenders. The report reads high-value customers as 1.3 times more likely to report gaming latency.
04. Only 17% of Jio users report slow data speeds, against a market average of 32%. Indoor coverage itself scores well, with 76.0% rating it 4 or 5 out of 5.
Unhappy loyalty (26.3%) is the largest reaction to tariff hikes
Effect of recent recharge tariff increases
Base: 995 respondents (weighted)
View the data behind this chart
| Answer | Share |
|---|---|
| Unhappy but staying | 26.3% |
| Reduced data usage | 25.6% |
| Planning to switch (MNP) | 24.2% |
| No effect | 23.8% |
Reaction to tariff hikes by monthly spend
% of each spend tier
View the data behind this chart
| Unhappy but staying | Reduced usage | Planning to switch | No effect | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under ₹200 | 21.7% | 28% | 23.4% | 26.9% |
| ₹201 to ₹500 | 27.8% | 25.2% | 24.1% | 22.9% |
| ₹501 to ₹1,000 | 27.3% | 24.5% | 26.1% | 22.1% |
| Above ₹1,000 | 26.5% | 25.7% | 23% | 24.8% |
01. Reactions are split. 26.3% are unhappy but staying, 25.6% have reduced data usage and 24.2% are planning to switch via MNP.
02. Low spenders react most to price, with 28.0% cutting usage. Spenders from ₹201 upward show the most unhappy loyalty (average 27.1%).
03. Customers above ₹1,000 a month are 22% more likely to be unhappily loyal than low spenders. They stay because leaving is a hassle, and brand affinity plays little part.
73.7% are likely to switch provider within 3 to 6 months
Likelihood of porting the primary number in the next 3 to 6 months
Base: 995 respondents (weighted); 1 = very unlikely, 5 = highly likely
View the data behind this chart
| Answer | Share |
|---|---|
| 1 | 3.72% |
| 2 | 6.93% |
| 3 | 15.7% |
| 4 | 39% |
| 5 | 34.7% |
01. Top-two-box switching intent is 73.7%. 39.0% are likely and 34.7% highly likely to switch.
02. Customers spending above ₹1,000 show the highest overall intent at 74.8%. Those under ₹200 have the most definite switchers (39.4% scoring 5).
Strong advocacy (75.0%) does not prevent switching
Likely to recommend (4 or 5 out of 5) by monthly spend
% of each spend tier; overall 75.0% (n=993)
View the data behind this chart
| Answer | Share |
|---|---|
| Under ₹200 | 69.5% |
| ₹201 to ₹500 | 75.4% |
| ₹501 to ₹1,000 | 73.4% |
| Above ₹1,000 | 77.8% |
01. Advocacy is strong at 75.0% top-two-box, with 40.0% rating 4 and 35.0% giving a perfect 5. Only 8.0% are detractors.
02. In the ₹201 to ₹500 tier, 32.5% give a top score of 5, which is 5.4 points below the lowest spenders (37.9%).
03. 38.2% of promoters (341 of 893) are planning to port, and 614 respondents who are highly likely to recommend are also highly likely to switch (chi-square 1,480.01, p < 0.001, Cramér's V 0.61). Only 1.0% (n=9) are true detractors.
What we would recommend
Practical priorities drawn from this study for further validation.
Protect the mid-tier 5G customer.
Put network stability first for the ₹201 to ₹500 segment. It has the highest 5G adoption (60.9%) but the lowest satisfaction, with only 13.2% reporting no issues.
Sell 5G as a standard utility and not an add-on.
High-value Jio users already treat 5G as a given (they value Unlimited 5G 17 points less than the general population). Messaging should move to reliability and latency-specific uses such as cloud gaming.
Fix network performance to keep high-ARPU users.
Unhappily loyal high spenders are 1.3 times more likely to report gaming latency. Technical KPIs will keep them better than price incentives.
Turn secondary SIMs into primary data connections.
74.8% of high spenders keep a second SIM as a backup. Challengers can offer data-only failover packs, and leaders should fix indoor coverage so customers no longer need a second network.
Build on the lead in high-spend segments.
Jio can use its 55.8% share of the ₹501 to ₹1,000 tier, and its edge on data speed (17% reporting slow speeds vs a 32% market average), to bundle premium digital services.
