Study says 71 mn users use multiple SIM cards

Nearly 71 million subscribers use multiple SIM cards across India. Moreover, among 14 percent of Multi-SIM card users who plan to buy a new handset, 75 percent intend to choose a dual SIM card handset, said a study by Nielsen India.

The study said, 4 out of every 5 Multi SIM card users own a single handset. Over 7 out of 10 multi-SIM card users* polled intend to acquire a dual SIM phone. For every 2 out of 5 multi-SIM users, expenses have remained consistent. Only 12 percent users have reported a substantial rise in costs.

The study revealed that smaller operators have a relatively higher share among Multi-SIM card users. While Uninor has just 1 percent market share among mobile users, it goes up to 6 percent when it comes to Multi-SIM user share. Similarly, Aircel's share too goes up a notch in the Multi-SIM card usage space.

The Nielsen study has found that 61 percent of handsets used by multi-SIM owners are dual SIM. Nokia leads the pack with a 30 percent market share while Samsung is a distant second with 16 percent. In fact, the popularity of dual SIM handsets is set to surge as among 14 percent of Multi-SIM card users who plan to purchase a new handset, 75 percent intend to choose a dual SIM handset.