India, the second most populous country in the world, does have a market that is worth checking out regardless of the item that goes on sale, although it would be nice if the average person would have a higher earning power instead of having it skewed all the way to one side. Having said that, India still has plenty of room for growth where the smartphone market is concerned, with most people being able to afford featurephones only at this point in time. Right now, Microsoft lays claim to 12% of the smartphone market in India, at least according to research firm Gfk.
12% might not sound like much at all, but Microsoft would probably be content with that since it is a figure that would see them reside in third place. Samsung remains right up there at the top, carrying up to 33% of the market share, while India’s very own Micromax is in second place, lying comfortably ahead of Microsoft, and yet remains under Samsung.
If featurephones were to be part of the equation, then Samsung would see its market share trimmed to 25% and Nokia steps in in this case with 21%, clearly placing it in second position. How long do you think it will be before India’s population catches up on the smartphone race?