India tablet market grows 16.4% in April-June 2015: CMR

NEW DELHI: Over 1.07 million tablets were sold in India in the April-June quarter of 2015, showing a growth of 16.4% growth year-on-year with shipment by as many as 34 domestic and international vendors, according to CMR’s India Quarterly Tablet PC Market Review.

However, only 10 vendors shipped in significant volumes of more than 20,000 units each during the period.

The overall increase in shipments of tablets in the India market registered a 4.2% growth quarter-on-quarter; the steady increase is attributed mainly to the launch of new models by local vendors and Xiaomi contributing significantly to unit shipments for the first time in the current quarter.

Faisal Kawoosa, Lead Analyst, CMR Telecoms Practice, said, “As the nation’s mobile consumers inch towards higher levels of data consumption, it has a direct impact on factors such as device screen size.  As of today, only a tablet can provide users a conveniently bigger screen; this should give some hope to the industry that the market will revive as 4G data networks become widely available and accessed by users in more and more cities and towns. Therefore, the April-June 2015 quarter may be the starting point for a whole new growth opportunity.”

“But, a word of caution is necessary – the current quarter’s numbers may be a sign of momentary relief. Industry leaders must not give up the quest to design and bring to market more innovative models to keep this product segment alive and growing in the long term," he added.

“The time now appears to be ripe for China-based OEMs to disrupt the tablets market. After smartphones, I expect these players will now focus on the tablets category and bring in quality at affordable price points for the discerning user," said Sachin Mehta, Analyst, Telecom Devices, CMR.

“As in the smartphones category, the tablets market has the potential for an exciting battle if Chinese brands can introduce function-rich models and establish top-of-mind presence through “smart” marketing tactics. This calibrated blend of innovation and aggression promises to be exciting as it can benefit consumers as well as ensure sustained industry growth”, Mehta said.