China's Xiaomi overtakes South Korea's Samsung in India's smartphone market

Xiaomi overtakes Samsung to lead India's smartphone market with 18% share in June quarter, followed by Vivo at 18%.

China's Xiaomi is at the top in India's smartphone industry after six quarters as it outpaced South Korea's Samsung which fell to the third position in the June quarter. Second on the list is Vivo as Chinese brands regain ground in the intensely competitive market. As per data from market researcher Canalys, Xiaomi's shipments grew at 24% at the highest pace annually and the company took its market share to 18% in the June quarter from 15% a year ago.

A man walks past a logo of Xiaomi, a Chinese manufacturer of consumer electronics, outside a shop in Mumbai, Chinese brands dominate as total shipments grow by 1%, says Canalys. (Reuters)

Meanwhile. Vivo grew 4% annually and its volume share remained unchanged at 18%. Samsung's shipments fell 8% with volume share at 17%, as per Canalys data. Two other Chinese brands Realme and Oppo ranked fourth and fifth with a volume share of 12% and 11% respectively, data showed.

Total mobile shipments grew by a marginal 1% from a year earlier in the June quarter to 36.4 million units, it said, adding, “Inventory levels remained high with some vendors continuing to launch new devices in higher price segments during the quarter, while others concentrated on reducing existing stocks to optimise inventory ahead of the festival season.”

Sanyam Chaurasia, senior analyst at Canalys, said top mass-market brands "shall use early monsoon sales to clear inventory, making space for new models ahead of the festive season."

B. Muralikrishnan, president, Xiaomi India, said in a post on X (formerly Twitter), “While reclaiming the top spot in Indian smartphone market is an achievement, we are proud of, our priorities go beyond rankings...our deep understanding of India coupled with our inherent technological strength has allowed us to become an integral part of the country's social fabric.”