Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in India are on track to spend over $8.73 billion on telecom equipment and services this year, a report from New York-based AMI Partners said.
Expenditures on telecom services accounted for the bulk of all telecom investment, comprising 95% of total spending, AMI said.
'Indian SMBs invariably prefer a highly personal touch in their interactions with business partners,' Neha Jalan, Kolkata-based analyst at AMI-Partners said. 'Their primary methods of communication with both clients and suppliers/vendors are via telephone calls and in-person visits.'
Local telephony remained the primary driver of telecom spending among India's small businesses, accounting for 55% of all telecom spending, the study said.
Despite the widespread usage of cellular phones, landlines are essential to small and medium businesses in India, the study added.