China’s Vivo, Xiaomi, Lenovo and Oppo dominate fast-growing smartphone market in India

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Published: 10:45pm, 25 Jan 2017Updated: 10:59pm, 25 Jan 2017

The Chinese mobile phone juggernaut capped its rapid ascent in India last year by capturing close to a 50 per cent share of the world’s second-largest smartphone market in the fourth quarter.

Vivo, Xiaomi, Lenovo Group and Oppo Electronics dominated India’s top five ranking of smartphone suppliers in India in the quarter ended December 31, when total shipments of those devices in the country reached 28.1 million units, according to separate reports by Counterpoint and Canalys.

Samsung Electronics, however, remained the country’s largest smartphone supplier, the two research firms said.

“For the first time no Indian brand figured among the top five smartphone rankings,” said Karn Chauhan, a Counterpoint research analyst.

This development marked a significant payoff for Chinese smartphone suppliers’ bet to expand sales into India, as well as manufacture products there, amid the lingering weakness and tough competition in their home market.

All of the Chinese brands operating in India -- including Huawei Technologies, ZTE, Coolpad Group and Gionee -- combined for a 46 per cent market share last quarter, up from 14 per cent in the same period in 2015, according to Counterpoint’s estimates.

“In November last year, Chinese brands saw their [combined] share reach an all-time high, accounting for 51 per cent of the total smartphone market,” Chauhan said.

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