India’s smartphone market recorded a modest 3 per cent year-on-year growth in the July–September quarter, with total shipments reaching 48.4 million units, according to a new report by Omdia. The growth was largely driven by festive season preparations, retail incentives, and new model launches.
Apple registered its highest-ever quarterly shipments in India, securing a 10 per cent market share and marking its strongest performance yet in the country. The company’s success was supported by rising demand from smaller cities and aggressive festive offers.
“Vendors filled the channels with new stocks in anticipation of a high-demand festive period,” said Sanyam Chaurasia, Principal Analyst at Omdia. “With limited organic demand, Q3’s momentum was largely sustained through incentive-led channel push rather than pure consumer recovery.”
The report noted that smartphone vendors reallocated marketing budgets toward high-impact retail incentive programs, including cash-per-unit bonuses, tiered margins, and dealer contests offering gold coins, bikes, and international trips. These schemes encouraged distributors and retailers to take on higher inventory ahead of Diwali sales.
At the same time, brands offered consumer-facing deals such as zero-down-payment EMIs, micro-installment plans, bundled accessories, and extended warranties to boost sales conversions.
vivo (excluding iQOO) retained its lead with 9.7 million units shipped, capturing 20 per cent of the market. Samsung followed in second place with 6.8 million units and 14 per cent share, while Xiaomi narrowly overtook OPPO (excluding OnePlus), with both shipping 6.5 million units.
Apple entered the top five vendors with 4.9 million units shipped, driven by strong sales of older iPhone models like the 15 and 16, supported by upgrade offers. The newly launched iPhone 17 base model also gained traction, benefiting from India’s expanding iPhone user base.
“Smaller cities drove volumes through aspirational demand, aggressive festive offers and wider availability,” Chaurasia said. “While older iPhones drove discount-led upgrades, the iPhone 17 saw solid adoption among existing iPhone 12–15 users.”
Looking ahead, the report said Apple is expected to focus on Pro-model upgrades and deepen its ecosystem to strengthen long-term customer value in India.
The overall Q3 performance signals a gradual recovery in India’s smartphone segment, with the festive season and new launches expected to sustain growth momentum into the next quarter.
