Samsung Mobile eyeing 60 percent marketshare in India

The Indian mobile handset market is estimated to reach 251 million units in 2013, an increase of 13.5% over this year, according to a global research firm. The mobile handset market is expected to show steady growth through 2016 when end-user sales will surpass 326 million units, as per estimates from Connecticut- based Gartner Inc. 


As far as mobile handset makers go, Samsung's brand strength and wide device portfolio have allowed it to take advantage of the high-growth opportunities in the Indian market. The current number one Samsung's share has risen from 15% in the first quarter of 2011 to 49.8% in the second quarter of this year. If Samsung continues this strong growth, it could end 2012 with more than 60% of marketshare — exactly where Nokia was at the start of 2011, Gartner said. 

Manufacturers such as ZTE, Micromax, Karbonn Mobile, Huawei stood at sixth, seventh and twelfth position respectively in the Indian smartphone market in the first half of 2012 and are constantly expanding their smartphone portfolio to compete with global manufacturers like Samsung and Nokia which held the first and second position respectively. 

"The Indian mobile phone market is very competitive with more than 150 device manufacturers selling devices to consumers. Most of these manufacturers remain focused on the low-cost feature phone market which still constitutes over 91% of overall mobile phone sales, offering a huge market to compete in," said Anshul Gupta, principal research analyst at the technology research and advisory firm. The increase in share of smartphone sales, decline in sales to first-time buyers and the continuous focus of global manufacturers on low-cost feature phone market, has put many of the 150-plus local and Chinese device manufacturers in survival mode. Many of them are already struggling to maintain share in the growing market, the Gartner report added