DataWind Inc — which specializes in entry-level tablets — said it was No.1 in the tablet market in India for the April-June quarter.
The company said it had a market share of 37.2% in terms of volumes. A total of 950,000 tablets were sold in India during the three months, the firm said, quoting CMR India Tablet PC Market Review report.
The overall tablet market grew 5% compared to the first quarter of 2016, it added..
The company has sold more tablets than any other company in India for the third successive quarter.
DataWind’s share of 37.2% is up from 34.2% in Q1 2016 and 20.7% in Q4 2015.
DataWind dominated the sub-Rs 5,000 tablet segment with 76% market share, up from 74% last quarter, in the largest and fastest growing market segment in India.
The study showed that the number of tablets sold in the sub-Rs. 5,000 segment has now increased to 48% of the overall market, up from 46% last quarter.
DataWind’s market share is now almost double than that of Samsung’s, which sold to 18.9% of tablets in the quarter, it said.
It should be kept in mind that DataWind is talking about the number of tablets sold, and not about the size of the market in terms of revenue.
Though not officially revealed, DataWind’s average selling price is likely to be in the Rs 3,000-3,500 band, while that of Samsung is likely to be in the Rs 12,000-16,000 range.
In other words, going purely by the revenue, Samsung is likely to be the undisputed leader in the tablet market in India.
However, DataWind has done more to rescue the flailing tablet market in the country by coming up with affordable models than any other vendor.
Tablets, which at one time were hotselling items in India, saw a drop in demand over the last three years as phones became larger and larger. India has among the worst PC-penetration rates in the world, and many people, especially in the rural areas, do not own a PC.
Tablet makers like Datawind have started targeting these users, for whom the tablet is the primary media for consuming non-TV content. Many tablet makers bundle covers and cases with built-in keyboards as well.
The company said that the CMR study also showed DataWind was the only brand in the top three sellers which has increased its market share.
“We continue to see tremendous demand for our low cost Internet-enabled tablets and smartphones from consumers in India. DataWind is moving ahead with a clear focus on driving device and Internet costs downward to a level where access to technology becomes ‘universally affordable’ and the democratization of technology finds its true meaning,” said Suneet Singh Tuli, President and CEO of DataWind.
DataWind is the only tablet provider in India focused on offering affordable tablets and Internet access.
DataWind devices come bundled with one year of unlimited Internet access, and feature the most affordable ongoing plans available in the market due to the company’s unique, patented technology that the company claims reduces up to 97% the amount of data needed for web browsing.