Amid the lockdown, Chinese and South Korean tech players in India including Xiaomi, LG, and Samsung recorded substantial sales in the television category, a market analysis report by research firm Counterpoint said on Thursday.
In the January to March quarter of 2020, Xiaomi managed to grab the top TV brand position in India.
The internet-enabled smart television market in Asia is weaker than in the US and the UK. The demand for televisions, however, significantly increased because of the COVID-19 lockdown.
“After a long time, people are getting so much time to sit at home. Usually, people watch shows on Netflix and Amazon on their way to work, or whenever they have free time in the office – thanks to smartphones. They did not feel a great need to invest in TVs. In big cities like Delhi and Mumbai, so many young people who are always on the run, rent apartments, and join jobs – so they also refrain from purchasing televisions. But now because of the lockdown, they are feeling a need for a bigger display. Watching content on smartphone and laptop screens is no fun", Agam Wadhwa, a local electronics vendor, told Sputnik.
Chinese smartphone brand Xiaomi, which was recently called out for tracing the search history of incognito tabs on their devices, scored a whopping 27 percent market share in India. The company offers smart TVs for a price as low as INR 13,499 ($177) in India.
Other brands like Sony and TCL also recorded growth in TV sales in India.
In a bid to benefit from the booming app-loaded smart TV business in India, Hong Kong and Finland-based companies Motorola and Nokia have also entered the playing field. Chinese smartphone mammoth OnePlus is also venturing into India now with an affordable smart TV.
Ironically, Counterpoint’s report showing the profits of Chinese brands like Xiaomi and OnePlus comes at a time when India and China are engaged in an intense face-off at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Ladakh region. During a skirmish between the two sides in the Galwan Valley, India lost 20 soldiers, including an officer
India is witnessing massive support on the fast growing #BoycottMadeinChina movement on social media. The movement joined by several celebrities, coincides with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent call for “going vocal for local”. Under the movement, many Indians are feeling driven to uninstall Chinese apps including Xender, TikTok, and Vivo Video, among others from their smart devices.
In light of the espionage threats to public data, a list of 52 apps has been released for uninstalling.