A STUDY ON

BUYING BEHAVIOR OF COLLEGE GOING STUDENTS

TOWARDS CELL PHONES

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment for the Award of the

Degree of Bachelor in Business Administration 2011-2014

Under the Guidance of: Submitted By:

PROF. GAURAV AGGERWAL SHIVANI

Faculty Guide 00814701811

Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Management Studies

Affiliated to Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi

PSP Area, Plot No. 1, Sector 22, Rohini, Delhi 110086

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to convey my heartfelt thanks to Director “S.P SHARMA” and my project guide

“MR. GAURAV AGGERWAL”, who always gave valuable suggestions and guidance for

completion of the project. She helped me to understand and remember important details of the

project. My project has been completed because of her guidance.

Name of the Student – SHIVANI

Enrollment No: - 00814701811

Batch -BBA (B&I)

2011-2014

ii

STUDENT DECLARATION

This is to certify that I have completed the Project titled “A Study on Buying Behavior of

College Going Students towards Cell Phones” under the guidance of “Mr. GAURAV

AGGERWAL” in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of Degree of Bachelor of

Business Administration at Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Management Studies, Delhi. This is an

original piece of work and I have not submitted it earlier elsewhere.

Date: Signature:

Place: Name: SHIVANI

University Enrollment No.: 00814701811

iii

CERTIFICATE FROM THE PROJECT GUIDE

This is to certify that the project titled “A Study on Buying Behavior of College Going

Students towards Cell Phones” is an academic work done by “SHIVANI” submitted in the

partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of the degree of Bachelor of Business

Administration at Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Management Studies, Delhi, under my guidance

and direction.

To the best of my knowledge and belief the data and information presented by her in the project

has not been submitted earlier.

Signature :

Name of the Faculty: Mr. GAURAV AGGERWAL

Designation : Faculty, MAIMS

iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgement………………………………………………………ii

Student Declaration……………………………………………………..iii

Certificate From Project Guide…………………………………………iv

Executive Summary…………………………………………………….1

Chapter -1: Introduction

a. Industry Profile………………………………………………………2

b. Brief Profile of various Mobile Companies in India………...............7

c. Objectives…………………………………………………...................16

Chapter -2: Research Methodology………………………………………..17

Chapter-3: Analysis and Interpretation…………………………………..22

Chapter-4: Conclusions..…………………………………………………..34

Chapter-5: Recommendations…………………………………………….37

Chapter-6: Limitations of the study…………….…………………………39

Bibliography

Annexure

Questionnaire

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The project gives an insight of the telecom sector. It basically helps in understanding the brand

preference of students with regard to mobile phones. It helps us to know what are the basis on

which a student chooses a particular brand when he/she purchases a new handset. The project

will help to learn about the growing telecom sector in India. The research will also bring to

light what all factors a student considers at the time of purchase of a new mobile

phone.

This study includes 6 chapters. The first chapter is the introduction and the last chapter is

limitations of study. The introduction chapter covers the company profiles of the leading players

of the telecommunications sector. The second chapter specifies the research methodology and

next chapter includes the analysis and interpretation. The fourth and fifth chapter consists of

conclusions and recommendations respectively.

1

Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

2

INDUSTRY PROFILE

The Cellular telephone (commonly "mobile phone" or "cell phone" or "hand phone") is a long-

range, portable electronic device used for mobile communication. In addition to the standard

voice function of a telephone, current mobile phones can support many additional services such

as SMS for text messaging, email, packet switching for access to the Internet, and MMS for

sending and receiving photos and video.

Most current mobile phones connect to a cellular network of base stations (cell sites), which is in

turn interconnected to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) (the exception is

satellite phones. Cellular telephone is also defined as a type of short-wave analog

or digital telecommunication in which a subscriber has a wireless connection from a mobile

telephone to a relatively nearby transmitter. The transmitter's span of coverage is called a cell.

Generally, cellular telephone service is available in urban areas and along major

highways. As the cellular telephone user moves from one cell or area of coverage to

another, the telephone is effectively passed on to the local cell transmitter. A cellular

telephone is not to be confused with a cordless telephone (which is simply a phone with a

very short wireless connection to a local phone outlet). A newer service similar to cellular is

personal communications services (PCS).

The Global Cellular Mobile Industry:

The global mobile phone industry is based on many different manufacturers and operators.

The industry is based on advanced technology and many of the manufacturers are operating in

different industries, where they use their technological skills, distribution network, market

knowledge and brand name.

Five large manufacturers of mobile phones which today are dominating the global mobile phone

industry; Nokia, Sony Ericson, Samsung, Blackberry and iphone.

In addition to these companies there are many manufacturers that operate globally and locally.

3

Telecom Industry in India:

The telecom industry is one of the fastest growing industries in India. India has nearly

200 million telephone lines making it the third largest network in the world after China and USA.

With a growth rate of 45%, Indian telecom industry has the highest growth rate in the

world.

Much of the growth in Asia Pacif ic Wire less Telecommunicat ion Market

is spurred by the growth in demand in countries like India and China.

India‘s mobile phone subscriber base is growing at a rate of 82.2%.

China is the biggest market in Asia Pacific with a subscriber base of 48% of the total

subscribers in Asia Pacific.

Compared to that India’s share in Asia Pacific Mobile phone  market is 6.4%.

Considering the fact that India and China have almost comparable populations,

India’s slow mobile penetration offers huge scope for growth

History of Indian Telecommunications:

Started in 1851 when the first operational land lines were laid by the government

near Calcutta (seat of British power). Telephone services were introduced in India in 1881.

In1883 telephone services were merged with the postal system. Indian Radio Telegraph Company (IRT) was formed in 1923. After independence in 1947, all the foreign

telecommunication companies were nationalized to form the posts, Telephone and Telegraph

(PTT), a monopoly run by the government's Ministry of Communications. Telecom sector

was considered as a strategic service and the government considered it best to bring

under state's control. The first wind of reforms in telecommunications sector began to flow in

1980s when the private sector was allowed in telecommunications equipment

manufacturing. In 1985, Department of Telecommunications (DOT) was established. It was an

exclusive provider of domestic and long distance service that would be its own regulator

(separate from the postal system). In 1986, two wholly government-owned companies

were created: the Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) for international 4

telecommunications and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) for service in

metropolitan areas. In 1990s, te lecommunicat ions sector benefi ted from the

genera l opening up of the economy. Also, examples of telecom revolution in many other

countries, which resulted in better quality of service and lower tariffs, led Indian policy makers to

initiate a change process finally resulting in opening up of telecom services sector

for the private sector. National Telecom Pol icy (NTP) 1994 was the f i rs t a t tempt

to give a comprehensive roadmap for the Indian telecommunications sector. In 1997,

Telecom Regulatory Authori ty of India (TRAI) was created. TRAI was formed to

act as a regulator to facilitate the growth of the telecom sector. New National Telecom

Policy was adopted in1999 and cellular services were also launched in the same year.

Telecommunication sector in India can be divided into two segments: Fixed Service

Provider (FSPs), and Cellular Services. Fixed line services consist of basic services,

national or domestic long distance and international long distance services. The state

operators (BSNL and MTNL), account for almost 90 per cent of revenues from basic

services. Private sector services are presently available in selective urban areas, and

collectively account for less than 5 per cent of subscriptions. However, private

services focus on the business/corporate sector, and offer reliable, high- end services,

such as leased lines, ISDN, closed user group and video conferencing. Cellular services can

be further divided into two categories: Global System for Mobile Communications

(GSM) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). The GSM sector is dominated by Airtel,

Vodfone-Essar, and Idea Cellular, while the CDMA sector is dominated by Reliance and

Tata Indicom. Opening up of international and domestic long distance telephony services are

the major growth drivers for cellular industry. Cellular  operators get substantial revenue

from these services, and compensate them for reduction in tar i f fs on ai r t ime, which a long

wi th rental was the main source of revenue. The reduction in tariffs for airtime,

national long distance, international long distance, and handset prices has driven demand.

India is one of the fastest growing economies all over the world and a live example which depicts

the development is the growth of the telecommunication industry in India, especially in the field

of mobile communication.

5

Mobile phones in India were formally launched in august 1995.  After the advent of these phones

in the market many companies have forayed into this field. BSNL, Airtel, Vodafone, and Idea

Cellular are some of the companies which have made a mark in this field. The main technologies

followed by India for mobile communication are global GSM and CDMA.

GSM is the global system for mobile communication and CDMA is based on code division

multiple access. Mobile tariffs are very low in India.

There has been a significant increase in the services provided, especially in the rural areas. The

rates of mobile phones and the tariffs are very low that almost every family in India can afford

town a mobile phone. The government of India has played a very important role in achieving

success in this area by adopting policies which help the families in the rural areas own a mobile

phone. This type of policies encourages overall development of country rather concentrating on a

single path.

The mobile subscriber’s base in India is said to have increased by 50% during March 2009. It has

increased by 130 million and rose up to 391.8million. It is expected that the mobile subscriptions

in India will rise up to half a billion. These statistics show the development of the

telecommunication industry which in turn shows development of India.

6

BRIEF PROFILE OF VARIOUS MOBILE COMPANIES IN INDIA

RESEARCH IN MOTION:

Research In Motion Limited or RIM is a Canadian multinational telecommunications company

headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, that designs, manufactures and markets wireless

solutions for the worldwide mobile and telecommunications market. RIM provides platforms and

solutions for access to information, including e-mail, voice, instant messaging, short message

service (SMS), Internet and intranet-based applications and browsing. RIM’s portfolio includes

the BlackBerry wireless solution, the RIM Wireless Handheld product line, software

development tools and other software and hardware. It was founded by Mike Lazaridis, who

currently serves as its vice chair of RIM's Board and Chair of the Board's new Innovation

Committee. The company is listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange in the USA in addition to

the Toronto Stock Exchange in Canada.

BRAND – BLACKBERRY

BlackBerry is a line of mobile e-mail and smartphone devices developed and designed

by Canadian company Research In Motion (RIM) since 1999.

BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable

media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more. They are primarily known for

their ability to send and receive (push) email and instant messages while maintaining a high level

of security through on-device message encryption. BlackBerry devices support a large variety of

instant messaging features, including BlackBerry Messenger.

7

BlackBerry accounts for 3% of mobile device sales worldwide in 2011, making its manufacturer

RIM the sixth most popular device maker (25% of mobile device sales are smartphones). The

consumer BlackBerry Internet Service is available in 91 countries worldwide on over 500 mobile

service operators using various mobile technologies. As of October 2011, there were seventy

million subscribers worldwide to BlackBerry. At present the Caribbean and Latin America, have

the highest penetrations of BlackBerry smartphones worldwide – with up to about 45 per cent in

the region having a RIM device.

Modern GSM-based BlackBerry handhelds incorporate an ARM 7, 9 or ARM 11 processor,

while older BlackBerry 950 and 957 handhelds used Intel 80386 processors. The latest

BlackBerry models called "Torch" (Torch 9850/9860, Torch 9810, and Bold 9900/9930) have a

1.2 GHz MSM8255 Snapdragon Processor, 768 MB system memory), and 8 GB of on-board

storage. All BlackBerry after OS 5 support up to 32 GB micro SD cards.

APPLE INC.:

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL; formerly Apple Computer, Inc.) is an American multinational

corporation that designs and sells consumer electronics, computer software, and personal

computers. The company's best-known hardware products are the Macintosh line of computers,

the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad. Its software includes the Mac OS X operating system;

the iTunes media browser; the iLife suite of multimedia and creativity software; the iWork suite

of productivity software; Aperture, a professional photography package; Final Cut Studio, a suite

of professional audio and film-industry software products; Logic Studio, a suite of music

production tools; the Safari web browser; and iOS, a mobile operating system.

As of July 2011, Apple has 357 retail stores in ten countries, and an online store. It is the largest

publicly traded company in the world by market capitalization, overtopping ExxonMobil by some

$150 billion, as well as the largest technology company in the world by revenue and profit, worth

more than Google and Microsoft combined. As of September 24, 2011, the company had 60,400

8

permanent full-time employees and 2,900 temporary full-time employees worldwide; its

worldwide annual sales totaled $65 billion, growing to $108 billion in 2011.

Fortune magazine named Apple the most admired company in the United States in 2008, and in

the world from 2008 to 2011. However, the company has received widespread criticism for its

contractors' labor, and for its environmental and business practices.

Established on April 1, 1976 in Cupertino, California, and incorporated January 3, 1977 the

company was named Apple Computer, Inc. for its first 30 years. The word "Computer" was

removed from its name on January 9, 2007, as its traditional focus on personal computers shifted

towards consumer electronics.

BRAND – I PHONE

The iPhone is a line of smartphones designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was

unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007.

The 5th generation iPhone, the iPhone 4S, was announced on October 4, 2011, and released 10

days later.

An iPhone can function as a video camera (video recording was not a standard feature until

the iPhone 3GS was released), a camera phone, a portable media player, and an Internet client

with email and web browsing capabilities, can send texts and receive visual voicemail, and has

both Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity. The user interface is built around the device’s multi-

touch screen, including a virtual keyboard rather than a physical one.

9

Third-party as well as Apple application software is available from the App Store, which

launched in mid-2008 and now has over 500,000 "apps" approved by Apple. These apps have

diverse functions, including games, reference, GPS navigation, social networking, security, and

advertising for television shows, films, and celebrities.

There are five generations of iPhone models, each accompanied by one of the five major releases

of iOS (formerly iPhone OS). The original iPhone was a GSM phone, and established design

precedents, such as screen size and button placement, that have persisted through all models.

The iPhone 3G added 3G cellular network capabilities and A-GPS location. The iPhone

3GS added a compass, faster processor, and higher resolution camera, including video recording

at 480p.

The iPhone 4 has a rear-facing camera (720p video) and a front facing camera (at a lower

resolution) for FaceTime video calling and for use in other apps like Skype. The iPhone 4

featured a higher-resolution 960x640 display; it was released on June 24, 2010. In the

U.S., AT&T was the only authorized carrier until February 10, 2011, when a CDMA version of

the iPhone 4 launched for Verizon. On October 4, 2011, Apple announced the iPhone 4S.

The iPhone 4S added a higher resolution camera (8 megapixel) with 1080p video recording, face

detection, and video stabilization, a faster, dual core processor, support for both GSM/UMTS and

CDMA on one chip, GLONASS support and a natural language voice control system

called Siri. It is available in 16 GB and 32 GB, as well as a new 64 GB capacity. In the United

States, it was announced that two new carriers, Sprint and C Spire, would begin carrying

the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S in October and November 2011, respectively.

10

NOKIA:

Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered

in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighboring Finland's capital, Helsinki. Nokia manufactures mobile

electronic devices, mostly mobile telephones and other devices related to communications, and in

converging Internet and communications industries, with 130,000 employees in 120 countries,

sales in more than 150 countries and global annual revenue of over €38 billion and operating loss

of €1 billion as of 2011. It was the world's largest manufacturer of mobile phones in 2011, with

global device market share of 23% in the second quarter. Nokia produces mobile devices for

every major market segment and protocol, including GSM, CDMA and W-CDMA (UMTS).

Nokia offers Internet services such as application, games, music, maps, media and messaging

through its Ovi platform. Nokia’s joint venture with Siemens, Nokia Siemens

Networks produces telecommunications network equipment, solutions and services. Nokia also

provides free-of-charge digital map information and navigation services through its wholly

owned subsidiary Navteq.

Nokia is a public limited-liability company listed on the Helsinki, Frankfurt, and New York stock

exchanges,  and plays a very large role in the economy of Finland, accounting for about a third of

the market capitalization of the Helsinki Stock Exchange (OMX Helsinki) in 2007.

The Nokia brand, valued at $25 billion, is listed as the 14th most valuable global brand in

the Interbrand/BusinessWeek Best Global Brands list of 2011. It is the 14th ranked brand

corporation in Europe (as of 2011), the 8th most admirable Network and Other Communications

Equipment company worldwide in Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies list of 2011, and

the world's 143th largest company as measured by revenue in Fortune Global 500 list of 2011. In

July 2010, Nokia reported a drop in profits by 40%, which turned into an operating loss of €487

11

million in Q2 2011. In the global smartphone rivalry, Nokia held the 3rd place in 2Q2011,

trailing behind Samsung and Apple.

On 11 February 2011 Nokia announced a partnership with Microsoft; all Nokia smartphones

introduced since then were to run under Microsoft's Windows Phone (WP)operating system. On

26 October 2011 Nokia unveiled its first Windows Phone handsets, the WP7.5 Lumia

710 and 800.

SAMSUNG:

Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate company headquartered

in Samsung Town, Seoul. It comprises numerous subsidiaries and affiliated businesses most of

them united under the Samsung brand, and is the largest South Korean chaebol.

Notable Samsung industrial subsidiaries include Samsung Electronics (the world's largest

information technology company measured by 2010 revenues), Samsung Heavy Industries (the

world's second-largest shipbuilder measured by 2010 revenues), and Samsung

Engineering and Samsung C&T (respectively the world's 35th- and 72nd-largest construction

companies). Other notable subsidiaries include Samsung Life Insurance (the world's 14th-largest

insurance company), Samsung Everland (the oldest theme park in South Korea) and Cheil

Worldwide (the world's 19th-largest advertising agency measured by 2010 revenues).

Samsung produces around a fifth of South Korea's total exports and its revenues are larger than

many countries' GDP; in 2006, it would have been the world's 35th-largest economy. The

company has a powerful influence on South Korea's economic development, politics, media and

culture, and has been a major driving force behind the "Miracle on the Han River".

12

Samsung Telecommunications is one of five business units within Samsung Electronics,

belonging to the Samsung Group, and consists of the Mobile Communications Division,

Telecommunication Systems Division, Computer Division, MP3 Business Team, Mobile

Solution Centre and Telecommunication R&D Centre. Telecommunication Business produces a

full spectrum of products from mobiles and other mobile devices such as MP3 players

and laptop computers to telecommunication network infrastructure. Headquarters is located

in Suwon, South Korea.

In 2007 Samsung Telecommunication Business reported over 40% growth and became the

second largest mobile device manufacturer in the world.[1] Its market share was 14% in Q4 2007,

growing up from 11.3% in Q4 2006. At the end of November 2011, Samsung sold more than 300

million mobile devices and set still in second after Nokia with 300.6 million mobile devices sold

in the first three quarter of 2011.

SONY:

Sony Corporation  commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate

corporation headquartered in Kōnan, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It ranked 73 on the 2011 list

of Fortune Global 500. Sony is one of the leading manufacturers of electronics products for the

consumer and professional markets.

Sony Corporation was the electronics business unit and the parent company of the Sony Group,

which is engaged in business through its six operating segments – Consumer Products & Services

Group (consumer electronics, game & network services), Professional, Device & Solutions

Group (B2B products & services), Pictures, Music, Financial Services and Sony Ericsson. These

make Sony one of the most comprehensive entertainment companies in the world. Sony's

principal business operations include Sony Corporation (Sony Electronics in the U.S.), Sony

Pictures Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment, Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Mobile

Communications (formerly Sony Ericsson), and Sony Financial. As a semiconductor maker,

Sony is among the Worldwide Top 20 Semiconductor Sales Leaders.

13

The Sony Group  is a Japan-based corporate group primarily focused on the Electronics (such as

AV/IT products & components), Game (such as PlayStation), Entertainment (such as motion

pictures and music), and Financial Services (such as insurance and banking) sectors. The group

consists of Sony Corporation (holding & electronics), Sony Computer

Entertainment (game), Sony Pictures Entertainment (motion pictures), Sony Music

Entertainment (music),Sony Financial Holdings (financial services) and others.

Its founders Akio Morita and Masaru Ibuka derived the name from sonus, the Latin word for

sound, and also from the English slang word "sonny", since they considered themselves to be

"sonny boys", a loan word into Japanese which in the early 1950s connoted smart and presentable

young men.

BRAND – SONY ERICSSON

Sony Mobile Communications AB (formerly Sony Ericsson Communications AB) is

a multinational mobile phone manufacturing company headquartered in London, United

Kingdom and a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation. It was founded on October 1,

2001 as a joint venture between Sony and the Swedish telecommunications

company Ericsson. Sony acquired Ericsson's share in the venture on February 16, 2012.

Sony Mobile Communications has research and development facilities in Lund, Sweden; Tokyo,

Japan; Beijing, China; and Silicon Valley, United States. In 2009, it was the fourth-largest mobile

phone manufacturer in the world (after Nokia, Samsung and LG). By 2010, its market share had

fallen to sixth place.

In the United States, Ericsson partnered with General Electric in the early nineties, primarily to

establish a US presence and brand recognition. Ericsson had decided to obtain chips for its 14

phones from a single source—a Philips facility in New Mexico. In March 2000, a fire at the

Philips factory contaminated the sterile facility. Philips assured Ericsson and Nokia (their other

major customer) that production would be delayed for no more than a week. When it became

clear that production would actually be compromised for months, Ericsson was faced with a

serious shortage. Nokia had already begun to obtain parts from alternative sources, but Ericsson's

position was much worse as production of current models and the launch of new ones was held

up.

Ericsson, which had been in the mobile phone market for decades, and was the world's third

largest cellular telephone handset maker, was struggling with huge losses. This was mainly due to

this fire and its inability to produce cheaper phones like Nokia. To curtail the losses, it considered

outsourcing production to Asian companies that could produce the handsets for lower costs.

Speculation began about a possible sale by Ericsson of its mobile phone division, but the

company's president said it had no plans to do so. "Mobile phones are really a core business for

Ericsson. We wouldn't be as successful (in networks) if we didn't have phones", he said.

Sony was a marginal player in the worldwide mobile phone market with a share of less than 1

percent in 2000. By August 2001, the two companies had finalized the terms of the merger

announced in April. The company was to have an initial workforce of 3,500 employees.

15

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The Objectives of this study were to identify:

The student preference level associated with different mobile phones.

Major features, which a college-going student looks for in a mobile phone before

making a purchase.

Factors that influence decision-making in purchasing a mobile phone.

To understand the college-going student’s preference regarding the use of mobile

phone.

16

Chapter-2

RESEARCH

METHODOLOGY

17

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter describes the research methodology adopted to achieve the objectives of the study.

Research Methodology is a systematically solve the research problem. It has many dimensions

and research methods constitute a part of the research methodology.

• Thus when we talk about research methodology, we do not only talk of the research methods

but also consider the logic behind the methods. We use in context of our research study, so that

research results are capable of being evaluated either by researcher himself or by others.

• To effectively carry out in research, I would use the following research process, which

consists of series of actions or steps.

Research comprises of the following steps:

1. Formulating the research Problem

2.Research design & Sample Design

3. Analysis of data gathered

4. Data Analysis and Comparison

5. Graphics and Interpret

18

RESEARCH DESIGN

The function of research design is to provide for the collection of relevant evidences with

minimal expenditure of efforts, time and money. Research designs are concerned with turning

the research question into a testing project. The best design depends on your research questions.

Every design has its positive and negative sides. The research design has been considered as a

"blueprint" for research, dealing with at least four problems: what questions to study, what data

are relevant, what data to collect, and how to analyze the results.

The research design constitutes the blueprint for the collection, measurement and analysis of

data. It is the strategy for a study and the plan by which the strategy is to be carried out. The

research design of the project is descriptive as it describes data and character ist ics

associated wi th the populat ion using mobile phones . Descriptive research is used to

obtain information concerning the current status of the phenomenon to describe “what exists”

with respect to variables in a given situation.

COLLECTION OF DATA

Primary Data:

Primary data is that data which is collected for the first time. It is original in nature

in the shape of raw material. For the purpose of collection of primary data, a well structured

questionnaire was framed which was filled by the respondents. The questionnaire comprises of

close ended as well as open ended question. In close ended questions dichotomous, ranking,

checklist questions and multiple choice questions are used.

Secondary Data:

Secondary data is the data which is already collected by someone. They are secondary in nature

and are in shape of finished product. Secondary data was collected so as to have accurate results.

Required data was collected from various books, magazines, journals and internet.

19

Sampling Design:

Sampling refers to selecting some of the elements in a population by which one can draw

conclusions about the entire population.

Universe:

Universe is the infinite number of elements which the researcher is targeting in his study. Since

the study is restricted to college students only the universe for the study consists of all the mobile

phone owners in various colleges.

Population:

Population is finite number of elements which the researcher is going to target

in  par t icular  area .  Al l   the mobile phone user students in colleges form the

population for the study.

Sampling Unit:

Sampling Unit is the single unit of the population. A single individual who owns a mobile phone

form the sampling unit of the study.

Extent:

Extent refers to the geographical area where there is a scope of population. The extent of the

study is colleges in Delhi.

Sampling Technique:

The selection of the respondents was done on the basis of convenience technique based on the

non probability method of sampling.

Sample size:

Sample size is the size of sample drawn from the population which is the true representative of

the research. The number of respondents included in the study was 50 for convenience in

evaluating and analyzing the data and because of time constraint.

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Chapter-3

ANALYSIS

AND

INTERPRETATION

ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

21

Q.1- Which brand of mobile phone are you using?

S No. Brand Name Number of

Respondents

Percentage (%)

1 Blackberry 10 16.66

2 I Phone 4 6.67

3 Nokia 21 35

4 Samsung 13 21.66

5 Sony Ericsson 7 11.67

6 Others 5 8.34

Total 60 100

No. Of Respondents

BlackberryI PhoneNokiaSamsungSony EricssonOthers

Interpretation:

The graphical representation shows that out of 60 students 21 students use Nokia handset, 13

students use Samsung handset, 10 people use Blackberry handset, 7 students use Sony Ericsson

handset, 5 students use other handsets available in the market and the rest use iPhone.

Q.2-What would you be willing to pay for a mobile phone?

22

S. No Cost Number of

Respondents

Percentage (%)

1 Less than Rs10000 22 36.67

2 Rs.10000-Rs.20000 28 46.67

3 Rs.20000-Rs.30000 6 10

4 More than Rs.30000 4 6.66

Total 60 100

Less than Rs.10000

Rs.10000-Rs.20000

Rs.20000-Rs.30000

More than Rs.30000

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Percentage of RespondentsNo. of Respondents

Interpretation:

The above Bar Chart shows that 28 students out of 60 students prefer to buy a handset which

ranges between Rs.10000 to Rs.20000 and 22 students prefer a handset below Rs.10000. The

number of students who are ready to buy handset worth Rs.20000-Rs.30000 and above is 6 and 4

respectively.

Q.3-Since when have you been using a cell phone?23

S. No. Time Period(years) Number of

Respondents

Percentage (%)

1 0-1 4 6.67

2 1-3 31 51.66

3 3-5 18 30

4 More than 5 years 7 11.67

Total 60 100

0-1 year 1-3 years 3-5 years More than 5 years

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

No. of RespondentsPercentage(%)

Interpretation:

Out of 60 students, 31 students are using mobile phones for 1-3 years, 18 students are using it for

3-5 years, 7 students had it for more than 5 years and only 4 students have used it for less than a

year.

Q.4-How often do you change your mobile phone?

24

S. No. Time Period(years) Number of

Respondents

Percentage (%)

1 0-1 13 21.67

2 1-2 26 43.34

3 2-3 17 28.34

4 After 3 years 4 6.67

Total 60 100

0-1 1-2 years 2-3 years After 3 years0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

No. of RespondentsPercentage (%)

Interpretation:

Out of total no. of respondents 26 respondents change their phones within 1-2 years, 17

respondents change it within 2-3 years, 13 students change their phone every year and only 4

respondents change their handsets after 3 years.

Q.5-What is your favorite brand of mobile phone?

S. No. Brand Number of Percentage (%)25

Respondents

1 Blackberry 12 20

2 I Phone 7 11.67

3 Nokia 22 36.67

4 Samsung 11 18.34

5 Sony Ericsson 8 13.34

6 Others 3 5

Total 60 100

Blackberry

I Phone

Nokia

Samsung

Sony Ericsson

Others

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Percentage (%)No. of Respondents

Interpretation:

The number of respondents whose favorite brand is Nokia, Blackberry, Samsung, Sony Ericsson,

iPhone and others are 22, 12, 11, 8, 7, 3 respectively.

Q.6-Why do you like the brand you chose above?

S. No. Factors Number of Percentage (%)26

Respondents

1 Appearance 18 30

2 Functions 22 36.67

3 Price 9 15

4 Quality 8 13.34

5 Service 3 5

6 Others - -

Total 60 100

Appearance

Functions

Price

Quality

Service

Others

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Percentage (%)No. of Respondents

Interpretation:

22 students like the brand they chose above because of features, 18 students because of the

appearance, 9 students because of the price, 8 students because of quality and 3 students because

of the service of the handset.

Q.7-What influenced you to buy this brand?

S. No. Factors Number of Percentage (%)

27

Respondents

1 Advertisement 12 20

2 Dealer’s

Recommendation

9 15

3 Family Member’s

Recommendation

21 35

4 Friend’s

Recommendation

18 30

Total 60 100

Advertisement

Dealer’s Recommendation

Family Member’s Recommendation

Friend’s Recommendation

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Percentage (%)No. of Respondents

Interpretation:

21 students buy a handset because of the recommendation of their family member, 18 students

are influenced by their friends, 12 students are influenced by the advertisement and 9 students

make a purchase on dealer’s recommendation.

Q.8 – Do you prefer your phones to be –

28

Number of

Respondents

Percentage(%)

Width

Slim 32 53.34

Medium 21 35

Thick 7 11.66

Weight

Light 31 51.66

Medium 27 45

Heavy 2 3.34

Size

Small 19 31.67

Medium 29 48.33

Large 12 20

Slim

Medium

Thick

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Width

No. of Respondents

29

Light

Medium

Heavy

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Weight

No. of Respondents

Small

Medium

Large

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Size

No. of Respondents

Interpretation:

The above bar charts show that maximum students prefer those phones which are slim, light-

weighted and are of medium size.

30

Q.9 – What do you use your cell phone for?

S. No. Activity Number of Respondents

1 E – mail / Internet 26

2 Games 34

3 Listening Music 56

4 Making / Receiving calls 60

5 SMS / MMS 40

E – mail / Internet

Games

Listening Music

Making / Receiving calls

SMS / MMS

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

No. of Respondents

Interpretation:

All the students use the cell phone for making and receiving call which is the basic purpose

served by the mobile phone. After this maximum people use their phones for listening to music.

31

Q.10-Which of the following features influence your buying decision?

S. No. Features Number of

Respondents

Percentage (%)

1 Bluetooth 12 20

2 Camera 18 30

3 Data storage capacity 8 13.34

4 GPRS 5 8.34

5 MP3/Video Player 17 28.33

Total 60 100

Bluetooth

Camera

Data storage capacity

GPRS

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Percentage (%)No. of Respondents

Interpretation:

18 students want that there should be camera in the phone, 17 students prefer that there should be

mp3/video player in their phone, 12 students want that Bluetooth should be there in the phone, 8

and 5 students prefer data storage capacity and GPRS respectively.

32

Chapter-4

CONCLUSION

33

CONCLUSION

The Mobile phone represents the convergence instrument of the future. It has become a

necess i ty for many people throughout the wor ld. The ability to keep in touch with

family, business associates, and storing data are only a few of the reasons for the increasing

importance of mobile phones. Cell phone manufacturers have produced a wide range of cell

phones, which sell for prices that range from very inexpensive to thousands of rupees. The above

findings and results reflected the preferences, expectations and satisfaction level of mobile phone

users in various colleges in Delhi.

The study would help the companies in understanding the preferences that influ ence

the purchase decision of the students and their expectations from the mobile handsets.

The results of the study indicate that mobile phones are no longer the status symbol for

the students of various colleges of Delhi. Brand and features in a handset are preferred over

their prices. Students are techno savvy and require new innovative features in mobile phones

every new day. Since the study was restricted to the Colleges in Delhi only so there is a

need to study more in other places to get a clear view of the findings. The following

conclusions can be drawn from this study:

The maximum number of students uses a Nokia mobile handset. 35% of the total

respondents own a Nokia handset.

Most of the students prefer to buy a handset below Rs.10000 or between Rs.10000-

Rs.20000.This is justified as they are students and don’t earn on their own so they have to

depend upon their parents for their needs.

Most of the students have a cell phone since 1-3 years, so it can be said that they

purchased their cell phone when they completed their school life and were about to enter a

college.

34

About 43.34 % students change their mobile phones within 2 years.

Nokia is the most popular brand among students then is the Blackberry followed by

Samsung.

The students chose their favorite brand mainly because of the functions and appearance.

About 35% of the respondents are influenced by their family members and 30% of the

students’ choice is affected by their friend’s recommendation while buying a new mobile

phone.

Most of the students prefer a sleek, light and medium size handset.

The basic purpose of mobile phone is to make and receive calls, so this is done by every

student. Additionally students use it to listen to music.

Most of the students prefer to buy a handset which has the facility of camera and

mp3/video player.

35

Chapter-5

RECOMMENDATIONS

RECOMMENDATIONS

36

The brands other than Nokia should improve their promotional strategies so that they can

increase on the level of visibility and hence increase their market share.

Price is an important constraint in the Indian market hence companies need to keep that in

mind while manufacturing any commodity. Mostly students prefer the range of Rs.10000-

Rs.20000, so companies should try to launch maximum models in this range.

Students change cell phones mostly after 2 years so companies should come up with new

and sleek designs which are attractive as well as more techno savvy which would

encourage people to change their cell phones more frequently. This would lead people

wanting to be more technologically advanced.

The companies should build on functions other than making calls so that people buy cell

phones to serve other purposes. They should advertise these features also so that people

know about it. The various features should be user friendly so that people do not find it

difficult to use and do not hesitate in using them.

37

Chapter-6

LIMITATIONS OF THE

STUDY

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

38

Sincere efforts have been made to collect authentic and reliable information from respondents,

however the report is subject to following limitations:

i. Some respondents were reluctant to give the information, so the responses may be biased.

ii. Time could be a major limitation as it may have affected the inferences drawn in the study.

Only 60 respondents have been contacted due to time constraint.

iii. Sample may not be the true representative of the universe.

iv. Study was conducted in college in Delhi only. So the results of the study may not be

applicable to other areas.

v. This study is based on the prevailing student’s satisfaction. But the student’s satisfaction may

change according to time, fashion, technology, development, etc.

39

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BIBLIOGRAPHY

40

Books:

Kothari, C.R. Research Methodology, 3 edition, 1997, Vikas Publishing House Pvt. Ltd.

New Delhi

Beri, G.C., Marketing Research: Research Design, 4th Edition, 2007, McGraw Hill

Education

Websites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phones

http://www.mobilephone.co.in/201001/mobile-phone-history-in-india.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BlackBerry

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Mobile_Communications

41

ANNEXURE

QUESTIONNAIRE

42

NAME –

AGE –

GENDER –

Q.1 -Which Brand of mobile phone are you using?

o BlackBerry

o I Phone

o Nokia

o Samsung

o Sony Ericsson

o Others specify

Q.2 -What would you be willing to pay for a mobile phone?

o Less than Rs.10000

o Rs.10000 - Rs.20000

o Rs.20000 – Rs.30000

o More than 5 year

Q.3 – Since when have you been using a cell phone?

o 0 – 1 year

o 1 - 3 years

o 3 – 5 years

o More than 5 years

Q.4 - How often do you change your mobile phone?

o 0 – 1 year43

o 1 – 2 years

o 2 - 3 years

o After 3 years

Q.5 – What is your favorite brand of mobile phone?

o BlackBerry

o I Phone

o Nokia

o Samsung

o Sony Ericsson

o Others specify

Q.6 – Why do you like the brand you chose above?

o Appearance

o Functions

o Price

o Quality

o Service

o Others specify

Q.7 – What influenced you to buy this brand?44

o Advertisement

o Dealer's Recommendation

o Family Member’s Recommendation

o Friend’s recommendation

Q.8 – Do you prefer phones to be -

o Slim or Medium or Thick

o Light or Medium or Heavy

o Small or Medium or Large

Q.9 – What do you use your cell phone for?

(You can mark more than one answer)

o E-mail / Internet

o Games

o Listening music

o Making / Receiving calls

o SMS / MMS

Q.10 – Which of the following features influence your buying decision?

o Bluetooth

o Camera

o Data storage capacity

o GPRS

o MP3 / Video Player

45