China smartphone brands, including Xiaomi, Vivo and Oppo, continue to lead India smartphone growth in 2021: report

The smartphone market in India achieved record revenue and shipments last year despite constraints in component supplies, with Chinese electronics giant Xiaomi Corp leading the pack, according to a new report by research firm Counterpoint.

Chinese brands accounted for four of the top five smartphone brands in India last year. Xiaomi had a 24 per cent share of total shipments in the country in 2021, followed by Samsung Electronics at 18 per cent, according to the report published this week. China’s Vivo was the third-largest smartphone vendor with a 15 per cent share, followed by Realme and Oppo.

Xiaomi posted 258 per cent growth in the premium smartphone segment, which comprises devices priced above 30,000 Indian rupees (US$400).

India’s smartphone market revenue crossed US$38 billion in 2021 with 27 per cent year-on-year growth, according to the report. That was helped by various “promotions and discounts, as well as better financing options”, according to Counterpoint.

The strong growth recorded by Chinese smartphone vendors in India comes amid rising tensions between the two countries in recent years. While New Delhi has rolled out a multitude of measures to bolster its home-grown tech industry, Chinese firms were hit by a consumer backlash after several violent border disputes between the two countries. India, however, remains heavily reliant on affordable and well-made consumer technology products supplied by China.