With 22% share, Micromax leads Indian smartphone market

Tribune News ServiceNew Delhi, February 4Samsung Electronics has been upstaged by home-grown budget smartphone maker Micromax to become the leading supplier in the country’s booming smartphone market for the first time.A report brought out by research firm Canalys says in the fourth quarter Micromax sold higher number of smartphones than Samsung in the Indian market, which is the third largest in the world.Canalys said Micromax accounted for 22% of smartphone sales in India in the October-December quarter, ahead of Samsung’s 20%. In total, 21.6 million smartphones were sold in India during the period, a 90% surge from a year earlier.India has the world’s second-highest number of mobile phone accounts after China and the low-priced smartphones are the top sellers in a country where many buyers are upgrading from feature phones.Micromax’s performance was partly due to its “continuing appeal to mobile phone users upgrading to smartphones”, Canalys said.It estimated nearly a quarter of smartphones sold in India in the fourth quarter were devices priced under $100, while 41% of devices sold were in the $100-$200 range.Its flagship line of products has also targeted the $150 to $200 (Rs 9,000 to Rs 12,000) segment, with products such as the Canvas Nitro and Canvas Hue.Canalys’ report shows that in Q4 2014 in India, 23% of shipments were of devices priced under $100 (Rs 6,000), while 41% were of devices in the $100 to $200 bracket (Rs 6,000 to Rs 12,000).Overall, the Indian market experienced strong annual growth of 90%, with 21.6 million units shipping in the quarter.Micromax and Samsung were followed by two other Indian budget smartphone brands, Karbonn and Lava, by number of handsets sold in fourth quarter, Canalys said.