According to a Counterpoint Research report published on Thursday, true wireless stereo (TWS) shipments in India increased by twofold in the third quarter of 2018 due to the festive season inventory needed to meet the high pent-up demand, numerous new launches, and discounts.
According to the report, Indian TWS brands experienced strong third-quarter growth of 143% year over year, led by BoAt, Noise, Mivi, Boult Audio, and Ptron, which together accounted for 79% of the market.
All of the new entrants in the quarter were local brands, according to Counterpoint (Mobatree, 5 Elements, Duffer, and Lyne). According to the statement, these Indian brands collectively held a 95% market share in the sub-Rs 2,000 price range.
Chinese brands, however, saw a rise in market share, reaching 13% in Q3. Realme and Oppo also introduced new TWS products to support the growth of Chinese brands. OnePlus was the driving force behind this growth by offering its Nord Buds CE at the lowest price in its entire TWS portfolio.
Finally, with Apple's release of the AirPods Pro, international brands that primarily serve the premium segment of the Rs 5,000 and above price range accelerated their growth. According to the report, Samsung, JBL, and Apple were the main drivers of the overall 9% sequential growth and 91% year-over-year growth experienced by global brands in Q3.
“The top five TWS brands in India – boAt, Noise, Mivi, OnePlus and Boult Audio – accounted for almost 70% of the total shipments. OnePlus made a comeback in the top five driven by two recent launches – Nord Buds and Nord Buds CE – at an affordable price point,” said Senior Research Analyst Anshika Jain.
She credited the holiday season and a focus on local manufacturing for the quarter's robust growth. According to the research company, domestic manufacturing saw a record 288% quarterly growth this year, accounting for 34% of all shipments.
According to Jain, the top 10 TWS models accounted for 41% of all TWS shipments. She added that the majority of these models catered to the low-mid price range (Rs1,000-Rs 3,000).
In response, Associate Research Director Liz Lee pointed out that it is still difficult for brands to increase their presence in offline channels because a sizable portion (79%) still comes from online channels.
