The smartphone market in India experienced a 3 percent year-on-year growth during the July-September quarter, with shipments reaching 48.4 million units. This increase coincided with Apple achieving its highest-ever shipment figures in the country, capturing a 10 percent market share, according to a report released by global research firm Omdia on Tuesday.
The growth was primarily attributed to a surge in new product launches in July and August, along with enhanced retail incentives and an earlier-than-usual festive season, which accelerated inventory movement. Sanyam Chaurasia, Principal Analyst at Omdia, noted that the modest growth was largely driven by incentives aimed at channel partners rather than a significant recovery in consumer demand.
“With limited organic demand, Q3″s momentum was largely sustained through incentive-led channel push rather than pure consumer recovery,” Chaurasia stated. Vendors redirected their marketing strategies towards impactful retail incentive programs that rewarded sales performance. These included cash bonuses per unit sold, tiered margins, and dealer contests that offered prizes such as gold coins, bikes, and international trips.
Chaurasia further explained, “These incentives motivated distributors and retailers to take on higher inventory levels in anticipation of the festive shopping season. Concurrently, vendors amplified consumer-facing schemes, which included zero-down-payment equated monthly installments (EMIs), micro-instalment plans, bundled accessories, and extended warranties to enhance conversions.”
In the competitive landscape, vivo (excluding iQOO) maintained its lead in the market with shipments of 9.7 million units, securing a 20 percent market share. Samsung followed in second place with 6.8 million units shipped, accounting for 14 percent of the market share. Xiaomi narrowly surpassed OPPO (excluding OnePlus) by shipping 6.5 million units each. Notably, Apple re-entered the top five with 4.9 million units shipped, benefiting from increased sales in smaller tier cities.
Chaurasia commented, “Smaller cities played a crucial role in driving volume through aspirational demand, attractive festive offers, and improved availability. While older models such as the iPhone 16s and 15s facilitated significant shipments through discount-driven upgrades, the iPhone 17 base model gained popularity, supported by a robust upgrade cycle from the iPhone 12 to 15 install base.”
Looking forward, Apple is expected to focus on encouraging upgrades to its Pro models and further developing its ecosystem to create long-term value, as mentioned in the report.
