India's tablet momentum continues despite weak global demand

Despite macroeconomic headwinds that face the world, India's tablet market saw huge growth amid speeding roll-out and rising 5G services, with the momentum expected to continue over the next quarters.

According to CMR's market tracker, India's 5G tablet shipments grew 170% year-on-year in 2022, with overall tablet shipments increasing 6% annually.

Lenovo continued leading the market by a 29% share despite a 33% annual shipment decline. Other major brands, such as Apple, Samsung, Lava, and Realme, saw double-digit growth for the past year.

CMR analyst Menka Kumari said that India's tablet market would continue to maintain its growth momentum in the new normal, adding that with supply chain constraints easing out and consumers spending more time on the go, tablets would continue to find favor.

Tablet demand in India starkly contrasts with the smartphone market, where shipments declined by 9% annually in 2022 due to supply constraints in early 2022 and lower demand throughout the year, Counterpoint Research data shows.

The growth momentum has enticed new entrants into India's tablet market. OnePlus unveiled its first tablet OnePlus Pad in India in early February.

Navnit Nakra, India CEO and head of India region at OnePlus India, told The Economic Times that hybrid work from home and office is a trend that is not going away, adding that people had started to require more screens other than TVs in their home.

Besides, according to Nakra, India's mobile operators are driving 5G adoption, and consumers want to be future-ready. Major operators in India have begun rolling out their 5G services since October. Financial Express reported in February that Reliance Jio, the largest mobile operator in India by subscribers, expanded its 5G services to 277 cities in India.

In contrast, the global tablet market is still challenged by weak demand. DIGITIMES Research analyst Nancy Hsu estimates that following the 2% fall in tablet shipments in 2022, global tablet shipments are expected to fall 17% quarter-on-quarter in the first quarter of 2023.

Source: CMR, February 2023