Samsung Electronics is dominating the Indian tablet PC market with nearly 40% market share. Samsung Electronics operates a factory in Uttar Pradesh in northern India and has been selected for the bid for the local government's free distribution project of tablet PCs. The positive response to the Galaxy Tab A9, released at the end of last year with a price around 300,000 won, is analyzed to be a reason for the increase in market share due to its competitive pricing.
According to market research firm Canalys on the 24th, Samsung Electronics secured 39.8% market share in the Indian tablet PC market in the third quarter of this year, an increase of 12.4 percentage points from the same period last year, ranking first. This is a higher market share than the combined total of second-place Acer (13.7%), third-place Apple (11.9%), and fourth-place Xiaomi (11.8%). Samsung Electronics is known to have significantly increased its market share by being selected as a bidder for educational institutions' tablet PCs led by the Indian government in Uttar Pradesh. Both Samsung Electronics and Acer were selected for this bid.
Samsung Electronics established a factory in Uttar Pradesh in 1997. Currently, Samsung Electronics produces various devices at this factory, including TVs, tablet PCs, and smartphones. Acer only has a factory in India for the final assembly stage of tablet PCs. Competitors such as Apple and Xiaomi are known not to produce tablet PCs in India or to produce them in limited quantities. Industry analysis suggests that Samsung Electronics' factory presence in Uttar Pradesh provided an advantage for the tablet PC bids.
Since 2021, Uttar Pradesh has been implementing a welfare policy to distribute one free tablet PC and smartphone each to 4.6 million students over three years. Distribution has been completed in almost all regions, and they have stated they will proceed with additional distribution targeting areas with low device coverage.
Samsung Electronics is selling the Galaxy Tab A9, a mid-range product launched in November of last year with a price around 300,000 won, in global markets including India. The Galaxy Tab A9 features 64GB of storage with 4GB of RAM and a 5,100mAh battery. It is equipped with an 8.7-inch display that supports a refresh rate of up to 60Hz and can display up to two applications simultaneously.
Samsung Electronics is experiencing a decline in the global tablet PC market. In the third quarter of this year, its global market share was 17.9%, a decrease of 0.3 percentage points compared to the previous year, maintaining its second position. In the same period, first-place Apple held a market share of 31.7%, down 6 percentage points from the previous year. Companies like Amazon and Huawei are increasing their market shares, gradually narrowing the positions of the leading companies.
For this reason, the rapidly growing Indian market is one that Samsung Electronics cannot afford to miss. In the third quarter, shipments in the Indian tablet PC market increased by 45% compared to the same period last year.
Park Kang-ho, a researcher at Daishin Securities, noted, "Samsung Electronics is solidifying its market share lead in the Indian tablet PC market, focusing on mid- to low-priced models. However, as the economic level in India develops, demand is gradually shifting towards high-priced models, so strategies for premium products should also be considered."