India smartphone market
India smartphone market is under pressure, with Q2 2026 shipments down 11.1% year-on-year to 33.2 million, a five-year first-half low, as memory costs lift prices (Business Today, 12 Aug). Premium demand holds up through EMIs and trade-ins, and shipments rose sequentially from 31 million in Q1 (Hindustan Times, 18 Aug).
What it means Online-led brands and entry-level suppliers face the sharpest squeeze, while offline retailers hold 58.1% share.
Latest moves
Our read of each move first, where we have one; what the report said is marked Reported.
Background
From 6 stories, the newest dated 23 Sept 2026. Summary written 2 Oct 2026.
India smartphone market covers handset sales and shipments across budget, mid-range and premium tiers, with retailers and brands affected by changes in prices, financing and online and offline channels.[1] source: Business Today[2] source: Business Today[3] source: Financial Express
Show 3 more paragraphs and 6 sources
Rising memory and component costs have pushed up device prices, weakened entry-level demand and led brands to lean on EMIs, exchange offers and cashback rather than deep discounts.[4] source: ET Small Business[1] source: Business Today[3] source: Financial Express
In Q2 2026, shipments fell 11.1% year-on-year to 33.2 million units, while the average selling price rose 14.4% year-on-year to $315.[2] source: Business Today[3] source: Financial Express H1 2026 shipments fell 7.9% to 64.2 million units, and online shipments fell 19.8%, compared with a 3.6% decline in offline shipments.[3] source: Financial Express In Q1 2026, the average selling price reached USD 302, up 10.4% year-on-year, while shipments declined 4.1% and market value grew 5.8%.[5] source: ET BrandEquity
Budget pressure was particularly visible in Q2 2026: sub-$100 smartphone shipments fell 74.3% year-on-year and segment share dropped to 4.5% from 15.6%.[1] source: Business Today Vivo had 18.1% market share in Q2 2026, narrowly ahead of Samsung at 17.9%, while the super-premium segment grew 72% year-on-year.[6] source: Hindustan Times