India's TWS market grows by 4% on-year in 1Q25; homegrown brands lose ground: Counterpoint
NEW DELHI: India's true-wireless stereo (TWS) shipments increased by 4% year-on-year in Q1 2025, driven by premiumisation and resilient consumer sentiments, according to the latest report released by
Counterpoint Research
on Friday.
The market tracker said brands are now prioritising expansion in the mid-tier price segment, strengthening presence in offline channels, leveraging partnerships, and capitalising on the Make in India initiatives to enhance competitiveness.
'Simultaneously, the market is going through an inventory correction phase, and brands are adjusting their channel strategies to align with evolving consumer demand,' Counterpoint said.
First-ranked
Boat
held a 27.2% market share in the January-March 2025 quarter, but its shipments fell by 11% year-on-year. It was followed by
Boult Audio
, which held a 17% share on the back of a 46% year-on-year growth in shipments, while
Noise
in the third position had a 12.1% share, as per Counterpoint data.
Realme
and
OnePlus
held a 6.1% and 5.2% share, respectively, with each brand's shipments growing by 30% year-on-year in Q1 2025.
'Indian TWS consumers are evolving, prioritizing value and features over a strictly price-driven mindset. Even in the budget segment, users expect a well-rounded experience encompassing sound quality, desired fit, ANC feature, low-latency performance, and reliable battery life,' said Anshika Jain, a senior research analyst with Counterpoint Research.
The premium market, which includes TWS earbuds priced over ₹5,000, grew by more than 1.4x in Q1 2025 and held a 4% share in the overall shipments driven by Apple, Noise and Samsung.
'Brands are also reviving their strategies and pushing early-stage AI features, exploring new form factors and leveraging strategic partnerships to scale further and enhance their visibility in the market,' Jain said.
Counterpoint expects the
India TWS market
to grow by 7% year-on-year in the calendar year 2025, led by increasing use cases and premiumisation trend.
'Brands that successfully align with evolving expectations while maintaining accessibility will be well-positioned to drive the next phase of India's TWS market expansion,' Jain said.
However, in the first quarter, Indian brands lost ground to both Chinese and global players.
Chinese brands captured 15% of the market, a 31% year-on-year increase, largely driven by the strong performance of Realme, alongside contributions from OnePlus and Xiaomi. Meanwhile, global brands achieved 2x year-on-year growth, propelled by brands such as JBL, Apple, CMF, and Samsung, as per the research agency.
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