Prime Highlights
- Tablets above 13 inches saw shipments surge 338% year-on-year.
- Lenovo reclaimed second spot; OnePlus entered the top five.
Key Facts
- Counterpoint Research is a global technology market research firm.
- India’s domestic tablet manufacturing grew 61% year-on-year in early 2026.
Background
According to Counterpoint Research report, the segment of tablets in India was able to achieve 5 percent growth in Q1 2026 due to a consistent rise in demand for these gadgets from consumers, corporates, educational institutes, as well as governments shifting to digital processes.
The demand for the gadgets rose despite increasing memory prices in an uncertain market environment. Consumers have leaned toward bigger screen sizes, snappier 5G readiness, and stronger configurations, rather than just staying with the older setups. The tablet segment is now seen as an affordable substitute for the laptop and smartphone segments, owing to the increase in memory prices in these segments.
Premium tablets and productivity tablets are becoming popular among consumers. Lenovo Idea Tab and Samsung Ultra tablets witnessed good performance during the period under consideration. Both Apple and Xiaomi launched tablets with screens larger than 12 inches, pushing the large-screen trend further. Tablets with screens above 13 inches saw shipments surge 338% year-on-year. Screens between 11 and 12 inches grew 29% and 76% respectively. Meanwhile, tablets under 10 inches saw shipments fall sharply by 52%.
Domestic manufacturing rose 61% year-on-year. Samsung leads local production, while Lenovo, Xiaomi, OnePlus, realme, and OPPO have also expanded local output. Exports crossed 200,000 units during the quarter.
Lenovo reclaimed the second position in the market after eight consecutive quarters, supported by stronger local production and sustained demand for its Idea Tab series. OnePlus entered the top five for the first time, backed by its Pad Lite and Go 2 series.
Average selling prices rose by double digits in the quarter. Counterpoint Research warned that the full impact of memory price inflation is likely to become more visible from the second quarter onwards, as brands adjust pricing to protect margins.