Mobile sales to surpass 326 million in India by 2016-end: Gartner

Mobile handset sales in the country are expected to surpass 326 million units by 2016 against sales of 221 million units in 2012, research firm Gartner said on Thursday.

Mobile phone sales are expected to reach 251 million units in 2013, an increase of 13.5 per cent over 2012 sales, Gartner said in a statement.

"The Indian mobile phone market is very competitive with more than 150 device manufacturers selling devices to consumers," Gartner Principal Research Analyst Anshul Gupta said.

"Most of these manufacturers remain focused on the low-cost feature phone market which still constitutes over 91 percent of overall mobile phone sales, offering a huge market to compete in," Gupta said.

However, the increase in share of smartphone device sales, declining sales to first time buyers and continuous focus of global manufacturers on the low-cost feature phone market, has put many of the 150-plus local and Chinese device manufacturers under survival mode, he added.

"Many of them are already struggling to maintain share in the growing market," Gupta said adding that some of these local and Chinese manufacturers are building capabilities, distribution and brand to compete with the big global players to compete at a larger level covering broader consumer segments.