India’s Tablet Market Shrinks 32% in 2025, But Consumers Keep Buying

When we look at the market of tablets, we see an interesting segment that keeps fighting to exist. Apart from Apple and its successful iPad lineup, Android tablets tend to have a more difficult path to success. The market hit its lowest point before the pandemic but bounced back when demand refreshed. However, some areas of this market have gone through a major slowdown in recent months. According to a recent report, India, one of the key markets for mobile devices, has shown mixed results for the Tablet market.

According to IDC, tablet shipments in India declined by 32.2% during the first half of the year, compared to the same period in 2024. It was a consistent drop of 2,15 million units being shipped to consumers. Interestingly, the detachable tablet segment actually grew by 18.9% year-on-year (YoY). The "slate tablet" category underperformed by 44.4% YOY, driving the big numbers down.

In the second quarter of 2025 (April to June), tablet market shipments actually decreased further, by 42.1% compared to Q2 2024. In Q1 2025, the decline was only 18.4% when compared to Q1 2024.

Interestingly, the consumer tablet market actually grew by 20.5% YOY in the first half of 2025. It was the commercial segment experiencing a dramatic 61.7% YoY decline that drove the overall numbers down, led by a 66.7% drop in the education segment and a 26.2% decline in the enterprise field. This is a direct result of the cancellation or postponement of education tenders, cost optimizations among small and medium businesses, and "a limited refresh cycle within large enterprises".

When it comes to the consumer market, online channels outpaced offline growth. It was driven by exclusive product launches, cashback incentives, and EMI options. The IDC also states that there is an "increased demand for larger screen sizes, stylus-supported models, and affordable entry-level devices".

As per the report, Samsung still leads this particular market. The Korean saw 886,000 shipments for a 41.3% market share. However, its shipments were down 38.1% YoY. In second place, Lenovo saw 264,000 units being shipped for a 12.3% market share, up 12.6% from last year.

In third place, the king of iPads, Apple, saw 253,000 units for an 11.8% share, down 13.6% YoY. Xiaomi was in fourth with 244,000 shipments and 11.4% share, up 28.5% YoY. Acer was in fifth with 196,000 shipments, 9.1% market share, and a dramatic 73.1% drop in sales compared to Q1 2024.