1 in 4 Smartphones Launched in India are From Emerging Brands: CMR Study Reveals

Cyber Media Research has released a new study according to which about 25% of all smartphones shipped in India by the end of 2016 will be from the stable of emerging brands. The study classified ’emerging brands’ as those that made their India debut after 2013.

According to the report emerging brands will will ship 32.5 million smartphones by the end of 2016. That number is apparently 25% of total shipments for the year, making it 1 out of every 4 smartphones. This shipment figure for the emerging brands is up by more than 100% as in 2015 the same number stood at 15.2 million shipments, the report claims.

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This trend is of course a reality thanks to a number of Chinese smartphone vendors that have infiltrated the Indian market with consummate ease. In the last 2 years some of the best Chinese brands have entered the market and launched some of the most popular products in India through a new direct to customer approach.

The likes of Xiaomi, OnePlus, Oppo, Gionee, and vivo have had a huge impact in the Indian smartphone market. Xiaomi is credited with being an early entrant in the market and revolutionizing the online-only model. By getting rid of the middle-man – the local distribution channels – Xiaomi allowed customers to benefit by offering products at reasonable prices. This model was a huge success and a number of brands have since adopted it.

OnePlus then went on to use the invitation model to not only generate interest in the public sphere but also capture the media’s attention like few brands have done before them. The launch of some of OnePlus flagship phones were among the most hyped product launches in recent memory.

Vivo went on to become the title sponsor of IPL 2016 which led to it gaining popularity among the youth. The company has certainly benefited from this investment and is gaining traction in the market with every passing month. Gionee has introduced some of the most amazing battery tech to the Indian market which has led to it gaining in popularity this year.

Other than these brands LeEco is another major Chinese brand that has made a foray in India and has already launched some of the most talked about smartphones this year. LeEco has also managed to remain in the news for all the right reasons.

The CMR study further noted that emerging brands contributed 16% of the total smartphone shipments in 2015. The study said that in 2015 Xiaomi led the flock of emerging brands by owning a 23.6% market share among them. Gionee held 14.7% and Panasonic held 11.3% in the same time frame.

An interesting point highlighted in the report was that 21 new smartphone brands had been launched in India in 2015, which should not surprise anyone who follows the Indian smartphone market. Some of the most important smartphone brands that have made their India debuts in the last couple of years are Gionee, Oppo, InFocus, Qiku, and Meizu.

It remains to be seen whether these emerging brands gain a firm foothold in the Indian market or whether some of them fizzle out after the initial hype.