Samsung Electronics crafts India smartphone comeback as anti-China wave surges
- Samsung jumped to the No 2 spot with 26 per cent market share in the second quarter behind Xiaomi’s 29 per cent, according to tech researcher Counterpoint
- Samsung, despite a better brand reputation, has struggled to woo price-sensitive Indian customers
Samsung Electronics is forging a comeback in India’s smartphone market with a new range of budget devices and a ramped-up online presence, aiming to recoup ground ceded to Chinese rivals such as Xiaomi.
Samsung jumped to the No 2 spot with 26 per cent market share in the second quarter behind Xiaomi’s 29 per cent, according to tech researcher Counterpoint, as the South Korean company’s diverse and in-house supply chain helped it avoid product delays suffered by rivals during coronavirus lockdowns.
It was in third position with a 16 per cent share in the previous quarter.
Once the unrivalled leader in the world’s second-biggest smartphone market, Samsung has over the past three years lost Indian customers to Chinese brands, whose devices are perceived as better value.
But India still accounts for some US$7.5 billion in annual retail smartphone revenues for Samsung, according to Counterpoint, making it the company’s biggest market outside the United States.