Media alert: Xiaomi and Lenovo climb in India’s smart phone market as local players falter

India’s smart phone market grew by over 20% year on year in Q3 2016 as shipments broke the 30 million mark. Samsung’s shipments grew in line with the market, meaning it continued to lead with a share of just over 20%. Shipments from local players Micromax, Intex and Lava all fell year on year, allowing Lenovo to move above Micromax and into second place for the first time, while Xiaomi took fourth place, more than doubling its Q2 2016 shipments. India has now clearly emerged as a growth opportunity for Xiaomi outside of its home market.

‘Indian consumers are increasingly looking past local players’ smart phones in favor of international brands. There is ongoing portfolio consolidation as local players change their product strategies, emphasizing the 4G-enabled models that are now becoming mainstream. Besides having a strong LTE portfolio, channel strategy is increasingly important for smart phone success. Lenovo’s focus on offline channels and Xiaomi’s move away from being an online-only vendor have clearly helped. Xiaomi’s shipments grew by almost 170% year on year, with its strongest quarter taking it to fourth place in an increasingly competitive market,’ said Rushabh Doshi, Canalys Analyst. ‘Despite its smart phone shipments halving, Micromax held onto third place, but it is coming under pressure from Xiaomi and fifth-placed Lyf.’

About Canalys

Canalys is an independent analyst company that strives to guide clients on the future of the technology industry and to think beyond the business models of the past. We deliver smart market insights to IT, channel and service provider professionals around the world. Our customer-driven analysis and consulting services empower businesses to make informed decisions and generate sales. We stake our reputation on the quality of our data, our innovative use of technology and our high level of customer service.

To view the chart(s) from this media alert, and others from Canalys, download the new Insight @Canalys app today from the Apple App Store, the Google Play store or as an HTML 5 web app.

Receiving updates

To receive media alerts directly, or for more information about our events, services or custom research and consulting capabilities, please complete the contact form on our web site.

Alternatively, you can e-mail press@canalys.com or call +1 650 681 4488 (Palo Alto, California, USA), +65 6671 9399 (Singapore), +86 21 2225 2888 (Shanghai, China) or +44 118 984 0520 (Reading, UK).