Second Covid wave hit smartphone market back in March when curbs were few

Shipments declined 14% QoQ in Jan-Mar, as per IDC data

The second Covid wave that is causing unprecedented disruptions across India, may have come as a surprise for many but the latest data from IDC shows it had begun to impact smartphone business on the ground as early as March. In March, when no Covid-related curbs were in place, growing inventory levels across channels led to a 14 percent sequential decline in quarterly shipments.

Since lockdowns were withdrawn and local curbs were lifted last October, shipment of smartphones rose steadily to a record 45 million units in October-December quarter. With the launch of the vaccination drive in January, the momentum continued