UCWeb, a global leading provider of mobile internet software and services, is celebrating second anniversary in India. According to the company, it has already made its mark in India by growing its market share from virtually zero to more than 30% in 3 years and has recently become the No.1 mobile internet browser in India.
According to an IAMAI report, the number of mobile internet users in India has witnessed a steady rise, with 110 million mobile internet users in October 2013. This is estimated to reach 130 million by the end of December. As the leading mobile browser in India, UC Browser has significantly helped make mobile internet more accessible to Indian users.
UC Browser is also helping in mobile internet penetration in rural India through its data compression technology, data saving and faster browsing experience. According to IAMAI, the mobile internet users in rural India are expected to increase from 21 Million users in June 2013 to 27 Million by December 2013.
UCWeb also increases accessibility and improves browsing experience by catering to local language demand and all kinds of phones of different specifications. Its ability to adapt to India’s unique environment is a main driving force behind the popularity of UC Browser.
UCWeb is not only focussing on improving its product for the users, but is also helping its business partners from the ecosystem that UC Browser has fostered. The foundation of the ecosystem is a user base of 400 million global users. In July 2013, UCWeb launched the Open Add-on Platform for Android. This platform encourages more third party developers to create a wide array of customized feature add-ons for UC Browser, bringing a more exciting and more personalized browsing experiences to users. Cricbuzz.com, a must-visit destination for cricket fans, is one of UC Browser’s partners in this endeavour.
According to IDC, smartphone sales in India have grown more than three-fold year-on-year to reach 12.8 million units in Q3 of 2013. Recently, Android has overtaken the long-ruling S40 as the No.1 mobile OS in India according to StatCounter, and it also became UC Browser’s largest platform in India in October. As a powerful operating platform that can carry complex functions, games and apps, Android is set to drive mobile commerce to boom in India.
India is considered a ‘mobile-first’ country, and lots of users, especially those from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, are accessing internet via their mobile phones before PC. Even for such people, accessing and finding content is easy as they have preloaded local content on their mobile browsers already. In the past two years, UCWeb has gained enough local experience by making Indian office its second headquarters and adding Hindi language support to UC Browser, among others. Knowing well its users and the market, UC Browser will continue keeping up with the trend and boost online video, gaming and mobile commerce to take off in India, by helping more and more internet companies to grow.
Watch the video on UCWeb’s 2nd anniversary here: http://www.youtube.com/
