India’s tablet market witnessed a sharp correction in Q3 2025, with overall shipments falling 19.7% year-over-year, according to the latest IDC Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker. While the broader category struggled due to weakening commercial demand, certain brands and segments — including consumer detachable tablets — showed pockets of resilience and strategic growth.

Despite the downtrend, Samsung held its dominant lead, while Xiaomi climbed to the third position, signalling strong competition in India’s evolving tablet landscape.

Consumer Segment Surges Despite Overall Market Decline

Driven by aggressive festive promotions, refreshed product portfolios, and bank-led cashback programs, the consumer tablet segment grew 13.5% YoY in Q3 2025. This growth was heavily fuelled by online retail, which recorded a staggering 53.9% expansion, indicating the rising influence of e-commerce on India’s electronics market.

@IDC

IDC highlights that vendors significantly increased channel inventory to capitalise on festive-season demand, particularly across Tier 2 and Tier 3 regions where tablets are becoming increasingly popular for media consumption, educational use, and light productivity.

Slate vs Detachable Tablets: Diverging Trends

The overall market decline was shaped by a stark contrast between tablet categories:

Detachable tablets (with keyboards) grew 7.3% YoY, driven by their increasing role as affordable productivity devices.

Slate tablets, however, plummeted 29.4% YoY, mainly due to shrinking institutional and commercial demand.

According to IDC analysts, detachable tablets are benefiting from broader adoption among students, freelancers, and hybrid workforce users seeking laptop-like capabilities at lower prices.

Commercial Segment Falls Sharply Across Sectors

The commercial segment collapsed by 53.5% YoY, marking the steepest contraction in recent years. Key contributors include:

Education deployments down by 61.9%

Small office purchases down 47.9%

Delayed government tenders and slashed SMB budgets

Lengthening device replacement cycles

IDC notes that the market may need further inventory correction despite healthy consumer sell-through during the festive quarter.

Priyansh Tiwari, Research Analyst at IDC India & South Asia, highlighted that tablets continue gaining relevance in small cities due to rising OTT consumption and increased use of accessories such as styluses, keyboards, and protective cases, which enhance productivity.

Brand Performance: Samsung Leads, Lenovo Strengthens, Xiaomi Climbs

Samsung: Market Leader with 37.5% Share

Samsung maintained its commanding position with:

37.5% total market share

49.7% commercial market share

32.6% consumer market share

Strong demand from public-sector education initiatives and a robust online push helped Samsung stay ahead despite a 27.6% YoY decline.

Lenovo: Growing Through Consumer Appeal

Lenovo secured 16.8% market share, benefiting from:

19.3% share in the consumer segment

Growth in enterprise deployments

Ongoing success of Motorola-branded tablets, appealing to younger buyers

Lenovo recorded a strong 33.2% YoY growth, making it one of the fastest-growing brands of the quarter.

Xiaomi: Climbs to Third with 15.5% Share

Xiaomi rose to the third spot, driven by:

21.8% share in the consumer segment

Competitive pricing strategies

Attractive exchange offers and bundled accessories during festive sales

Its accessible pricing and value-driven propositions continue to resonate with mass-market buyers.

Apple: Stable Demand Amid Declining Shipments

Apple held 9.2% market share, retaining steady demand from:

Enterprise users

Education sector deployments

Premium consumer buyers

However, it registered a 27.8% decline YoY due to increased competition from Android tablets and market-wide contraction.

Acer: Fifth with 7.9% Share

Acer completed the top five list, supported by:

26.4% commercial market share

Completion of earlier government education projects

Despite this, Acer saw a steep 60.6% YoY decline following the fulfilment of previous large-scale deployments.

IDC Market Table: Q3 2025 vs Q3 2024 Performance

Company
Q3 2025 Shipments (‘000)
Q3 2024 Shipments (‘000)
Q3 2025 Share
Q3 2024 Share
YoY Change

Samsung
500
690
37.5%
41.6%
-27.6%

Lenovo
224
168
16.8%
10.1%
+33.2%

Xiaomi
207
228
15.5%
13.8%
-9.4%

Apple
123
170
9.2%
10.3%
-27.8%

Acer
105
266
7.9%
16%
-60.6%

Others
174
136
13%
8.2%
+28.2%

Total
1,332
1,659
100%
100%
-19.7%

Future Outlook: Tablets to Gain Value as AI and PC Prices Evolve

According to Bharath Shenoy, Research Manager at IDC India & South Asia, India’s tablet market remains fundamentally resilient despite short-term volatility. With rising PC prices and growing demand for lightweight productivity devices, tablets are expected to:

Adopt more AI-driven features

Offer customised workflows

Serve as viable alternatives to entry-level laptops

Support government digital-learning initiatives

Shenoy added that tablets will continue to grow as versatile devices that combine entertainment, productivity, and AI-enabled functionality at accessible price points.

Conclusion

Despite a nearly 20% market decline in Q3 2025, India’s tablet market is undergoing a strategic transformation. While the commercial sector contracts, the consumer segment — fuelled by online sales, festive demand, and competitively priced offerings — remains a strong growth engine.

With Samsung retaining leadership, Xiaomi’s ascent, and Lenovo’s strong momentum, the market is set for intensified competition as brands pivot toward AI-enhanced tablets, smart accessories, and productivity-first experiences tailored for India’s digital-first users

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The post Samsung Leads as India’s Tablet Market Faces a 19.7% Decline, Xiaomi Climbs to Third in a Shifting Q3 2025 Landscape appeared first on Before You Take.