Samsung tops Indian smartphone market

Despite increasing competition from local and global rivals, Samsung has held onto its position as the top smartphone manufacturer in India. According to Counterpoint Research, Samsung had 23.2 percent market share in the smartphone market in Q3 2015, which is a slight reduction from 24.5 percent in the previous quarter.

[related_videos title=”Samsung in video:” align=”left” type=”custom” videos=”632593,652065,647458,644809,638334,637995″]Across its portfolio, the mid-range segment has proven to be the best seller for Samsung, with handsets such as the Galaxy J5 and J7 along with the Galaxy A series all proving to be successful for the Korean OEM. However, the company isn’t yet that competitive in the budget segment – where some of its rivals are experiencing great growth – but new handsets such as the Galaxy On5 and On7, which were announced yesterday, are expected to help the company compete in the low-tier market.

Unlike China and several other key markets, the Indian smartphone market shows no signs of slowing down with Counterpoint noting that smartphone shipments increased 12 percent compared to last quarter and 20 percent, compared to the same quarter last year. Smartphones now account for one out of every three phones sold in India and the rise of e-commerce giants Flipkart, Amazon and Snapdeal means one out of three handsets is now purchased online.

The Indian government’s “Make in India” campaign has seen many OEMs begin manufacturing handsets in the country, which has resulted in 25 percent of all devices sold in the quarter being made in India. Samsung already makes most of its Indian phones in India and now its rivals, such as Xiaomi and Sony, are also following suit. With the Indian market continuing to grow as others markets stagnate, one thing is clear – the Indian market will soon be a key battleground for all OEMs in the search for additional growth and profits.