India ships 70M smartphones in H1 2025
What's the story
India's smartphone market has witnessed a modest recovery in the first half of 2025, with a total of 70 million units shipped. This marks a year-on-year increase of 0.9%, according to IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. The growth was mainly driven by aggressive launches, price cuts on older models, increased offline channel margins, and strong above-the-line (ATL) marketing efforts during the second quarter (Q2) of this year.
Market surge
Q2 2025: Aggressive model launches, price cuts drove growth
In Q2 2025 alone, India shipped 37 million smartphones, a whopping 7.3% increase year-on-year. This growth can be attributed to aggressive new model launches across all price segments, price cuts on older models, increased offline channel margins and strong above-the-line (ATL) marketing initiatives. Aditya Rampal of IDC Asia Pacific said these factors collectively contributed to the market's recovery.
Market leaders
Apple, Vivo, Samsung lead the way
Apple's shipments surged by an impressive 21.5% year-on-year to reach 5.9 million units in H1 2025. The iPhone 16 was India's best-selling model, accounting for a whopping 4% of overall shipments. Vivo retained its top spot for the sixth consecutive quarter, followed by Samsung and OPPO. Nothing and iQOO also witnessed remarkable growth rates of 84.9% and 68.4%, respectively during this period.
Market challenges
ASPs hit record high, consumer demand muted
Despite the growth in shipments, IDC warns that rising average selling prices (ASPs) and muted consumer demand could restrict full-year recovery. ASPs hit a record $275 in Q2 2025, up 10.8% year-on-year. The entry-level segment (sub-$100) grew by 22.9% YoY while mid-premium ($400-$600) and premium ($600-$800) segments saw even higher growth rates of 39.5% and a whopping 96.4%, respectively during this period.
Channel expansion
Offline channels witness massive growth
Offline channels witnessed a massive 14.3% YoY growth, accounting for 53.6% share of the market. This was mainly driven by omnichannel strategies, higher retailer incentives, and in-store promotions. Qualcomm-powered shipments also saw a significant jump with an impressive 37.6% YoY increase while MediaTek's shipments declined by 15.4%.
Future outlook
IDC forecasts low single-digit decline in shipments for 2025
IDC forecasts a low single-digit decline in shipments for 2025, as affordability pressures continue to impact budget smartphone sales. Ongoing macroeconomic challenges are affecting consumer demand, particularly in the affordable segment. This has led to a contraction of the affordable Android market, slowing down overall market growth. However, iPhones continue to show double-digit year-on-year growth despite these challenges.