Smartphone Market In India Records Highest Ever Shipment: Counterpoint

Last Updated on February 1, 2022 by Anu Joy

According to the market research firm Counterpoint, India’s smartphone shipments grew 11 percent YoY to reach 169 million units in 2021. This resulted in a revenue of USD 38 billion in 2021 with 27 percent YoY growth. While Xiaomi remained at the top-most position in India, Samsung, on the other hand, generated the highest-ever retail average selling price (ASP) in the year. Apart from this, 5G shipments also registered a whopping 555 percent YoY growth in 2021, in which Vivo led the 5G smartphone shipments in 2021 with a 19 percent share.

169 Million Smartphones Shipped In India For 2021

Xiaomi maintained the top position in India’s smartphone market in 2021. The company managed to grow 258 percent in the premium segment, which comprises devices above ₹30,000. However, due to the component shortage in the second half of the year, impacted volumes in the mass market segment led to slower growth.

On the other hand, Samsung gained the second position in 2021 with an 8 percent YoY decline in shipments. The supply chain disruptions, the absence of the Galaxy Note series, and focus on the entry-level segment led to an overall decline, according to Counterpoint. However, despite these setbacks, the brand maintained its leadership position when it came to 5G smartphone shipments in Q4 2021. The company led the ₹20,000 to ₹45,000 segment with a 28 percent share, while its foldable devices such as the Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Flip shipments grew 388 percent YoY in 2021.

In 2021, Realme was the fastest-growing brand which reported 20 percent YoY growth. The company also managed to capture the second spot in Q4 2021 for the first time ever. Vivo emerged as the top 5G smartphone brand in 2021 with a 19 percent share. The company grew 2 percent YoY in 2021 because of the strong performance of its Y series and V-series.

Apart from Realme, Apple was one of the fastest-growing brands in the country in 2021. The Cupertino-based tech giant witnessed a 108 percent year-on-year growth in shipments. It also retained the lead in the premium segment with a 44 percent share, as per Counterpoint.

Vivo’s sibling, OPPO, on the other hand, held the fifth position in 2021 with 6 percent YoY growth. OnePlus also reached its highest ever shipments in 2021, by crossing the 5-million mark with 59 percent YoY growth achieved by the OnePlus Nord Series.

Commenting on the competitive landscape and pricing, Research Analyst Shilpi Jain said,

India’s smartphone market retail ASP (average selling price) grew 14% YoY in 2021 to reach its highest ever at $227. The price hikes in the budget segment due to component price rise, increasing focus of OEMs on the premium segment, and increased demand for mid-range and premium smartphones due to increasing uses and availability of financing options contributed to the increasing ASP. This resulted in the Indian smartphone market revenue crossing $38 billion in 2021, registering a growth of 27% YoY.

On the developing manufacturing ecosystem, she added, “Local manufacturing bounced back, contributing 98% shipments in 2021, compared to 90% in 2020. The PLI scheme has been a great booster for the Indian mobile manufacturing ecosystem, attracting top players like Apple and Samsung to increase their ‘Make in India’ footprint and make India their export hub. Therefore, handset exports saw 26% YoY growth in 2021. Seeing the PLI scheme’s success in the mobile manufacturing ecosystem, the government has launched similar schemes for different product verticals like CIOT and IT hardware.”