CMR: Indian tablet market grew 28% in the second half of 2017

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According to the latest data from CMR, the Indian tablet market grew 28% in the second half of 2017, with shipments reaching 1.8 million units. Lenovo replaced Datawind as the market leader with a 21% market share. Samsung ranked second, followed by Datawind.

Lenovo's rise was attributed to strong B2B sales in the second half of 2017, with its shipments growing 114% in the second half of 2017. Samsung Electronics' shipments in India grew 39% in the second half of 2017, while Datawind's shipments fell 35%.

Narinder Kumar, Chief Analyst, CMR, said, "In the second half of 2017, the Indian government stimulated B2B sales. In terms of verticals, the education sector continued to be the major contributor. The financial services sector also saw an increase in tablet penetration."

According to Narinder, “The restaurants and fast food industry has emerged as a key area for tablet consumption, driven primarily by online food ordering. The segment will grow further in the coming quarters.”

Lenovo's Tab 3 7 was the most popular tablet model in the Indian market, with shipments growing 163% in the second half of 2017. Acer became a top supplier thanks to a deal with the education department of the Gujarat government. The One 7 M77GHG was another major contributor to the tablet market growth.

From the perspective of technology trends, 4G has become the leading technology, and the market share of 3G and 2G tablets has declined. In the second half of 2017, the shipment of 4G tablets increased by 51%. Half of the tablets shipped by Lenovo in the second half of 2017 were 4G.

In terms of price, 5K-10K tablets are the most popular in the Indian market, with a market share of 47%. Lenovo and Acer's B2B business growth rate reached 118%. Compared with the first half of the year, entry-level tablets (<5K) saw a 35% drop in shipments in the second half of the year. Due to the growth in iPad sales, tablet shipments of 20K-30K saw a slight increase in the second half of the year.

Looking ahead, Menka Kumari, Lead Analyst, CMR, said, “Digital transformation from government and industry along with aggressive 4G data plans are helping to reduce the overall cost of using tablets. Apart from this, the convergence of customised software/apps and services is driving the adoption of 4G tablets in education and other key service sectors.”

199IT.com Originally compiled from: CMR. Please do not reprint without authorization