Indian tablet market expected to double in 2013; Samsung leads the pack

The year 2012 was an interesting year for the tablet market. There were plenty of new Indian players that entered this market such as Micromax, Karbonn and Lava. According to India Quarterly Media Tablets Market Review for 3Q 2012, the India tablet market recorded sales to the tunes of 1.1 million units in 3Q (July-September) 2012.

This is a huge jump considering that only 98,135 tablets were sold in the same quarter last year.

Furthermore, the India's tablet market is expected to double to around six million units in 2013, led by increased enterprise adoption and availability of Windows 8-based devices, as per research firm CyberMedia.

The research also indicates that there were about 135 vendors that have launched their tablets in India till 3Q 2012. It is expected that keeping the current trends in mind a few more vendors might be tempted to join the bandwagon soon.

Another interesting facet that gets highlighted in the research report by CyberMedia is that the Average Sales Value of tablets in India during 3Q 2012 was approximately Rs. 13,200, while 63.5 percent of all tablet sold were below the Rs. 10,000-mark.

In terms of ranking, CyberMedia research pegs that Samsung is currently the market leader in the tablet market with a market share of 23.9 percent, followed by Micromax at the second position with 15.3 percent share and Datawind (manufacturer of the controversial Akash tablet) at third position with a 12.3 percent share, in terms of sales during 3Q 2012. However, sales of Aakash tablet have not been taken into consideration for the compilation of this data.

The total shipments for the tablet market are expected to close at 3 million units in 2012, as per this report

Commenting on the trends for 2013, CyberMedia says 2013 will see markets crystallise around three price points, which include Rs. 5,000-10,000; Rs. 15,000-20,000 and over Rs. 35,000. The research firm believes that some vendors might have to undertake price corrections to fit their devices within these three price segments, to serve the market aptly and participate in these high-volume price levels.

The analysts at CyberMedia also feel that will be at least a few Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) who will announce LTE / LTE-ready Tablets for the India market in 2013. According to Faisal Kawoosa, Lead Analyst, CMR Telecoms Practice, "A majority of the Tablets currently on offer have built-in Wi-Fi connectivity with 3G access enabled through a USB dongle. However, going forward, increased penetration of 3G networks, declining ASVs of 3G-enabled Media Tablets and launch of BWA (4G / WiMax / LTE) services in the country is likely to see a rise in 3G-only Tablet devices with larger screen sizes. This trend is expected to give a fillip to new types of data services and content being demanded and consumed by subscribers, which in turn will drive a further increase in adoption of Media Tablets in India."

(With inputs from PTI)

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