Indian smartphone market registered a decline for the first time in several years in 2020, according to the IDC reports. It also sheds light on the market share held by several leading smartphone OEMs. According to the report, stay-at-home mandates, remote work and education, and shutdowns led to a sluggish first half last year. However, it bounced back in H2 2020, registering a 19 percent YoY growth.
Additionally, it reports that the Indian smartphone market posted a record fourth-quarter smartphone shipments of 45 million devices (21 percent YoY growth). However, it is still lower than the pre-pandemic level. The report says that in 2020, online channels outpaced the overall market. It is growing by 12 percent annually, with a 48 percent market share in 2020. Multiple sales events, promotions, trade-in/upgrade programs, and affordability initiatives helped e-commerce clock a record 51 percent share in Q4 2020. The offline channel saw a 5 percent YoY growth in Q4 2020, according to IDC.
Xiaomi Dominates Among Others in Indian Smartphone Market
The company continues to maintain its lead over Samsung, Realme, OPPO, and Vivo with a 27 percent market share in Q4 2020. Moreover, it has managed to ship over 12 million smartphones in the time period. This is all happening due to the Redmi 8 sales in the first quarter whereas, Redmi 9 series in the second. Samsung comes in second, with a 17 percent market share and 7.7 million units. However, both Samsung and Xiaomi have lost a little space to Vivo and Realme in the Indian smartphone market.
Both of these companies witnessed a 12 percent and a 19 percent growth in Q4 2020, respectively. It is a bit surprising to Vivo to rise through the ranks. On the other hand, even after the slump, the Indian smartphone general market trend has remained more or less the same in 2020. Again, Chinese OEMs continue to dominate the Indian market with their impressively-specced, affordable offerings. Whereas, Indian smartphone brands struggle to keep up. However, we can expect the latter to increase – after the lockdown-restrictions come down. Once again, Xiaomi will very likely top the charts thanks to its upcoming Redmi Note 10 line of smartphones. Moreover, once 5G trials start in major cities, 5G-ready smartphones will be all the rage.
Sushmita Choubey
Marketer to the core, a writer from the soul. Engineer and an MBA turned budding tech writer - dabbling her hands in all genres of writing from tech to fiction. If not writing, you will always find me reading anything and everything. Otherwise, you will find me learning new languages.