Xiaomi makes a comeback in India’s smartphone market, but shares top spot with Chinese rival Vivo

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi is back on top in India after losing its crown in the world’s second-largest handset market 18 months ago, but has to share the honour with domestic rival Vivo.

Xiaomi took an 18 per cent market share in the second quarter with shipments of 6.7 million units, putting it back in the No 1 spot after six quarters, according to data released by Canalys on Thursday.

That represented a 24 per cent growth compared to the June quarter in 2023, driven by Xiaomi’s mid-range and premium handsets, according to Canalys.

However, Xiaomi – the world’s third-largest smartphone maker – had to share the top spot in India with Vivo, which also shipped 6.7 million units in the same quarter for a market share of 18 per cent. The Indian smartphone market only reported modest growth of 1 per cent in the second quarter, amid subdued seasonal demand, extreme weather and the national elections, the Canalys report said.

“Brands such as Xiaomi boosted their mid-to-high-end product line-up, driving volumes for the quarter with the Redmi Note 13 Pro series featuring refreshed colour offerings and the newly launched Xiaomi 14 Civi with its camera quality and distinctive leather design,” Sanyam Chaurasia, senior analyst at Canalys, said in a report.