In October, mobile phone users grew by 1.4 million to 44.9 million, overtaking the number of landlines, said the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, (TRAI). In January 2003, there were only 10 million mobile subscribers in India. Analysts say cheap rates and a huge youth market is driving the market. Services other than just voice calls which are offered by mobile operators in India have, as a result of the huge rise in subscribers, grown significantly and rapidly. "The growth of this market sector has attracted publishers, developers, animators, musicians, and content providers, and is also stimulating the development of innovative business models," said Clint Wheelock, director of In-Stat/MDR's wireless research group.

India has a large population of under-25s, and many in urban areas are fast adopting mobiles as must-have gadgets. The growth of this market sector has attracted publishers, developers, animators, musicians, and content providers. This is despite the fact that less than 20% of India's total population own a mobile in India, compared to well over 50% in most European countries.