India’s smartphone market witnessed flat opening in Q1, hope for revival in the festive quarter: IDC

India’s smartphone market witnessed a flat opening in the first quarter of 2020 with a year-over-year (YoY) growth of 1.5 per cent to 32.5 million units, according to the International Data Corporation’s (IDC) Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.

Despite a slow start, India was the only country amongst the top three to witness a growth n the smartphone segment. Both, China and USA markets faced a YoY decline by 20.3 per cent and 16 per cent respectively in Q1FY20.

“Inventories remained high throughout the distribution channels due to seasonally low demand in the first quarter, clubbed with the Covid-19 impact from mid-March 2020 onwards as the nationwide lockdown was announced,” the report said. The growth is largely due to online channels, it said.