In 2020 Chinese smartphone brands expanded their India market share

Chinese smartphone brands increased their market share in India in 2020, a year marked by deadly border clashes between the Asian neighbours and backlash against Chinese firms in India, research firm Counterpoint has said.

Chinese brands commanded 75 per cent of India's smartphone market last year up from 71 per cent in 2019 and the highest since at least 2014.

Xiaomi Corp remained India's top smartphone seller in 2020 with a 26 per cent market share albeit slightly less than its 27 per cent share a year earlier. South Korea's Samsung Electronics was the No.2 brand with a 21 per cent share. The country's next biggest phone brands were Vivo, Realme and Oppo all Chinese brands.

The anti-China sentiment also spurred some Chinese firms to showcase their Indian-ness. Xiaomi's India website still features a "Made in India" banner on its home page that was introduced last year.

Meanwhile, overall smartphone shipments in India reached more than 150 million units in 2020, falling 4 per cent from a year earlier.

Demand picked up in the final quarter of 2020 during India's festive season that culminated with Diwali in November, Counterpoint said.