India’s tablet market sees sharp 32 pct decline in H1 2025, consumer segment bucks trend: IDC

Updated on 28-Aug-2025
HIGHLIGHTS

Consumer segment up 20.5% YoY, driven by Amazon Prime Day, retail promotions, and entry-level demand.

Commercial shipments plunged 61.7% YoY, led by a 66.7% drop in education tenders.

Samsung led with 41.3% market share, followed by Lenovo (12.3%) and Apple (11.8%).

IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker shows that the tablet market in India has experienced a decline in the first half of 2025, with total shipments falling 32.2% year-on-year (YoY) to 2.15 million units. The slump was largely driven by a steep drop in slate tablets, which fell 44.4% YoY, outweighing the 18.9% YoY growth in the detachable category.

According to IDC, the slowdown worsened in the April-June quarter (2Q25), with shipments falling by 42.1% YoY, following an 18.4% YoY drop in 1Q25. According to IDC, this downturn is due to falling commercial demand, particularly from government-backed education programs, which traditionally account for a large portion of institutional sales.

In contrast, the consumer market showed a brighter picture, growing 20.5% YoY in 1H25. Strong sell-in strategies, seasonal sales campaigns such as Amazon Prime Day, and back-to-school promotions boosted traffic across e-commerce, retail stores, and brand-owned locations. Growing interest in larger screens, stylus-enabled devices, and low-cost entry-level models also aided demand.

Commercial shipments, on the other hand, fell by 61.7% year on year, led by a 66.7% drop in education tenders and a 26.2% drop in enterprise demand, reflecting postponed purchases and cost-cutting measures among small and medium businesses.

Samsung maintained its lead with a commanding 41.3% share in 1H25, thanks to education initiatives and an aggressive online push. Lenovo followed with 12.3%, gaining ground in SMB and enterprise deals, while Apple secured 11.8% overall, owing to new iPad launches and student discounts. Xiaomi, at 11.4%, soared in the consumer space with low-cost models, and Acer rounded out the top five at 9.1%, despite a 73.1% YoY decline due to stalled education orders.

Ashish Singh

Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. He's been wrangling tech jargon since 2020 (Times Internet, Jagran English '22). When not policing commas, he's likely fueling his gadget habit with coffee, strategising his next virtual race, or plotting a road trip to test the latest in-car tech. He speaks fluent Geek.

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