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

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.

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