Get All Access for $5/mo

India Smartphone Industry Grew by 23% In Q1 Where Xiaomi Led: Counterpoint Report According to the report, Xiaomi led the market in Q1 2021 with a 26 per cent shipment share as five out of the top 10 smartphone models in the country were from Xiaomi

By Prabhjeet Bhatla

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Unsplash

India's smartphone shipments grew 23 per cent year-over-year (y-o-y) to reach over 38 million units in Q1 2021, according to the latest research from Counterpoint's Market Monitor service. These were the highest ever first-quarter shipments. New product launches, promotions, and financial schemes, as well as pent-up demand coming from 2020, drove the smartphone market in Q1 2021.

"Continuing with its stellar run, India's smartphone market registered a third consecutive quarter of record shipments in Q1 2021, riding on pent-up demand. Consumer confidence also increased due to the beginning of a vaccination drive in the country. But these numbers should be taken with caution as a second and more virulent wave of COVID-19 is currently on in the country and is likely to impact the coming quarters. The consumer demand will take a hit due to the ongoing COVID-19 wave and subsequent lockdowns," said Prachir Singh, senior research analyst, Counterpoint, while commenting on the market dynamics.

India's mobile handset market grew 19 per cent y-o-y in Q1 2021 due to the strong performance of both feature phone and smartphone segments, the report shared.

"The Chinese brands held a 75 per cent share in the March-ended quarter. Xiaomi led the market with a 26 per cent share, followed by Samsung, vivo, realme, and OPPO. Xiaomi has recently expanded its manufacturing capabilities with new EMS partners, which helped the brand maintain strong shipments during the quarter. All the major brands are focusing on new product launches to drive consumer demand. Samsung maintained a high number of new product launches in its Galaxy M-series, Galaxy F-series as well as the Galaxy S21 series during the quarter. Besides, realme launched its 8 series, OnePlus announced its 9 series and Xiaomi launched its Redmi Note 10 series that has started well. Brands are also focusing on promotions and financial schemes to increase consumer demand," added Shilpi Jain, research analyst, Counterpoint, while commenting on the competitive landscape and brand strategies.

The feature phone market registered a 14 per cent y-o-y growth during the quarter driven by strong shipments of JioPhone under its new model and subsequent promotions. However, itel led the feature phone market in Q1 2021 with a 21 per cent market share.

Prabhjeet Bhatla

Former Staff

News and Trends

Top Companies Underperform on Fair Labour Standards for Gig Workers: Report

This year, Fairwork evaluated 11 platforms in India including Amazon Flex, bigbasket, BluSmart, Flipkart, Ola, Porter, Swiggy, Uber, Urban Company, Zepto and Zomato.

Branding

You Don't Need Thousands to Turn Your Business Idea Into Reality — Here's How I Did It on a College-Kid Budget

From creating the packaging designs online by myself to learning how to take professional product photos, I found ways to launch a company on a low budget. Here's how you can do it, too.

News and Trends

Kalaari Capital Leads USD 2.25 Mn Funding for AI-Driven Design Startup Figr

AI-powered design platform Figr accelerates UI/UX design with new funding, aiming to enhance product development, expand teams, and drive global growth through generative AI advancements.

Marketing

How a Single PowerPoint Raised $300 Million for This Founder

Brandtech Group CEO David Jones explains what led him to leave his executive comfort zone to build an AI-powered tech empire from scratch.

News and Trends

AI in India: Transforming Lives and Businesses for Good

While AI has its fair share of drawbacks, the emerging technology is largely used to transform lives and businesses for good