As per the CMR report, the premium tablet segment priced above `20,000 strengthened its dominance in Q1 2026. It accounted for 86% of total tablet shipments and recorded a strong 92% year-on-year growth, emerging as the key driver of market expansion.
Within the premium segment, Apple further strengthened its leadership, growing 95% YoY. The Apple iPad 11 series alone accounted for nearly 24% of overall India tablet shipments, while the newly launched Apple iPad Air 2026 series contributed an additional 3-4% share.
Large-screen tablets above 10 inches accounted for nearly 90% of shipments in Q1 2026, reflecting growing consumer preference for bigger displays for learning, entertainment, and multitasking.
“India’s tablet market is undergoing a clear premiumization cycle, driven by the convergence of digital learning, hybrid work, and rising demand for productivity-focused devices. The strong growth of premium tablets and higher-memory configurations indicates that consumers and institutions are increasingly prioritizing performance, longevity, and ecosystem value over entry-level affordability. At the same time, the dominance of large-screen devices reflects the tablet’s evolving role as a primary computing companion for learning, content creation, and multitasking,” said Menka Kumari, senior analyst – Industry Intelligence Group, CyberMedia Research.
Wi-Fi tablets recorded a robust 92% growth, led by education deployments and home-learning demand. Meanwhile, 5G tablets declined 1%, reflecting a slight shift toward Wi-Fi-first usage.
Performance-focused configurations also accelerated market growth. Tablets with 6GB RAM grew 284%, while 12GB RAM variants expanded 835%, highlighting increasing demand for better multitasking capabilities.
In the affordable segment, demand shifted away from lower configurations toward higher-performance devices, reinforcing a clear upgrade trend across the market.
Tablet market dynamics in Q1 2026
Samsung retained its leadership with a 38% market share, growing 54% YoY, driven by its Galaxy A-series and Tab S-series portfolio. The company also benefited from large-scale enterprise and educational tenders across India, along with aggressive financing schemes that improved accessibility to premium devices.
Apple captured a 30% market share, with the Apple iPad 11 series contributing 76% of its shipments.
Lenovo secured a 16% market share, posting strong double-digit growth across consumer, education, and enterprise segments.
Xiaomi held a 9% market share despite a 19% YoY decline. Its newly launched Xiaomi Pad 8 and Redmi Pad 2 Pro together contributed 33% of brand shipments, signalling an ongoing portfolio transition toward newer models.
OnePlus accounted for a 2% market share, declining 42% YoY amid intense competition and heavy promotional spending by segment leaders in India.
Market Outlook
CyberMedia Research forecasts the Indian tablet market to decline by 10-12% in CY2026.
“Looking ahead, the India tablet market is expected to face near-term pressure from component cost inflation, memory shortages, and cautious institutional spending cycles. However, the long-term fundamentals remain strong, supported by ongoing digital education initiative, enterprise mobility adoption, and growing consumer preference for high-performance tablet ecosystems. Premium and AI-ready tablets are expected to remain key growth drivers going forward,” added Menka.
