Samsung remained the market leader, while Xiaomi took the fourth spot
It seems like domestic smartphone manufacturers didn’t do so well in Q3 2016. According to a report by research firm, Canalys, shipments from local manufacturers like Micromax, Intex and Lava fell year on year. This allowed Chinese manufacturer, Lenovo, to overtake Micromax and bag the second position in the market, for the second time. Samsung continued to lead the Indian market with a market share of 20 percent. Another Chinese manufacturer, Xiaomi, took fourth place after more than doubling its Q2 2016 shipments.
Overall, Canalys notes that the Indian smartphone market grew by over 20 percent year on year in Q3 2016 and shipments broke the 30 million mark. Rushabh Doshi, an analyst at the firm says, “Indian consumers are increasingly looking past local players’ smartphones 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 smartphone success.”
Doshi notes that Lenovo’s focus on offline channels and Xiaomi's strategy to move away from being an online-only vendor have aided both companies. He added that while Micromax held on to the third place, it is coming under pressure from Xiaomi and fifth-placed Lyf.
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Shrey Pacheco
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