India remains biggest foreign market for Chinese phone companies

India accounted for 34% of Vivo's global shipments in CY25 and 23% of Oppo's, while its share for Realme and OnePlus stood at 35% and 32%, respectively

Despite geopolitical tensions between the two countries, leading Chinese mobile brands remain heavily dependent on the Indian market, which serves as their largest market outside of China.

 

In calendar year 2025 (CY25), India accounted for 34 per cent of Vivo’s global shipments, according to OMDIA. The brand holds sway as the highest-selling smartphone in India in the second quarter (Q2) of CY26 when it grabbed an 18 per cent share of the overall market. It is now pushing the pedal to increase its smartphone production in India through a joint venture (JV) with Dixon Technologies.

 

This pattern is mirrored across other Chinese brands: in CY25, India accounted for 23 per cent of Oppo’s global shipments, 35 per cent of Realme’s, and 32 per cent of OnePlus’s. The four brands — Vivo, Oppo, Realme, and One Plus — are all owned by Chinese major BBK Electronics.

 

Even for Motorola, a brand which is now controlled by Chinese giant Lenovo, India accounts for 20 per cent of its global shipments. Furthermore, the company exports Indian-assembled smartphones directly to the US.

 

Of course, it is not only the Chinese brands which are hugely dependent on India for their business success. India accounts for a staggering 71 per cent of global shipments for Nothing, the London-based smartphone maker founded by Carl Pei, the former cofounder of OnePlus.

 

The reason for the India dependence is simple. “Most of the Chinese brands except Xiaomi are not global players. Xiaomi, Samsung, and Apple are the only global smartphone players. All the other Chinese brands are heavily reliant on India, it is their second priority market after China,” says Sanyam Chaurasia, analyst in OMDIA.

 

For Xiaomi, India shipments account for only 12 per cent of its global total, as the brand has made a major push in Europe to become the third-largest player behind Apple and Samsung. Transsion is the only other Chinese company for which India accounts for only 6 per cent of its global shipments. This is because of Transsion’s large play in Africa, apart from Latin America and West Asia.

 

For Samsung, India represents just 10 per cent of its global shipments, even though the company secured the number two position domestically with a 17 per cent volume market share in Q2CY26.

 

For the Cupertino-headquartered Apple Inc, India accounts for 6 per cent of its global shipments. But despite that, it still is the fifth-largest selling phone in the country with a 10 per cent share in Q2CY26.

 

Chaurasia expects Chinese companies to depend more heavily on Indian sales, especially after a five-fold increase in memory chip prices shrunk the global as well as Indian markets.

 

“Mobile phone companies will prioritise markets in 2027 based on three criteria: predictable profitability, quicker inventory turnover, and less new investments. India fits the bill on each,” Chaurasia says.