Question : Smart Phone Market

Will the Minister of ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

(a) whether India has overtaken US to become second largest smartphone market in the July-September quarter of 2018;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the smartphone market faces unprecedented challenge, while its dynamics are changing rapidly at both vendor and country level;

(d) if so, the details thereof;

(e) whether the Government is planning to reduce the internet tariffs across the country; and

(f) if so the details thereof?

(a) and (b): According to the Electronics Industry Associations, as per recent shipment data from prominent research firms, India has overtaken US to become second largest smartphone market in the world in the July-September quarter of 2018, during which the shipment of smartphones in India was 40.4 million, as against shipment of 40 million smartphones in the US.

(c) and (d): The dynamics of the smartphone Industry is changing rapidly with the advent of new aggressive vendors, who are responding quickly to the market demands, resulting in increased share in the Indian market. The established players are also responding to the competition.

(e) and (f): As per the information provided by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Internet tariff across the country is under forbearance and TRAI has no proposal to revise it presently.

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