India smartphone market declines 1.7% in CY2020 after years of growth: IDC

H10-2020 sluggish with demand down 26%, H2 recovers with 19% growth. Lockdowns and curbs drive need for devices to support remote working. IDC sees stronger market in 2021 led by upgrades

Stay-at-home mandates, remote work, remote education, travel restrictions, and manufacturing shutdowns impacted the India smartphone market, which exited CY2020 at 150 million units, down 1.7 per cent year-on-year, said the report by International Data Corporation’s (IDC).

The first half of the year (H1-2020) was marked by sluggish growth with demand down 26 per cent YoY, the second half saw recovery. H2-2020 recovered with 19 per cent YoY growth. Lockdowns and restrictions rendered an urgent need for devices supporting activities such as entertainment, work from home, and remote learning, resulting in more devices per household, and leading to a resurgence in