True Wireless (TWS) earbuds are now going mainstream in India. Domestic shipments recorded a whopping 168 per cent year-on-year jump in the June quarter (Q2 2022). On a quarter-on-quarter basis, the growth stood at 62 per cent. 

The increasing penetration of the low-price band (Rs 1,000-2,000) earbuds, a jump in domestic manufacturing, and a plethora of discounts offered by brands and e-commerce platforms are driving quick adoption, according to Counterpoint Research. 

Nearly four-fifth (79 per cent) of TWS shipments in Q2 were led by online channels, with Flipkart capturing half of those.

boAt, which leads India’s hearables market, continued to dominate the TWS segment with a 46 per cent share. It saw a mammoth 236 per cent year-on-year growth riding on its low-priced launches coinciding with Amazon’s summer sales. “The Airdopes 131 remained the bestseller model, contributing a 15 per cent share to the overall TWS market shipments,” Counterpoint revealed. Noise, meanwhile, took the second spot with an 8 per cent share. Its sales in Q2 2022 were driven by locally produced earbuds. The Noise Buds VS102 was the brand’s most popular model, entering the top 10 models list for the quarter, according to the study.  Boult Audio (7 per cent), Mivi (6 per cent), and pTron (4 per cent) completed the list of top five players in the domestic market.  Shedding light on the dominance of desi brands in the hearables market, Liz Lee, Associate Research Director at Counterpoint, said, “During Q2 2022, homegrown brands captured the top five brands rankings for the first time. These brands together took over 70 per cent share and were quite aggressive in their marketing strategies, introducing new advanced alternatives at affordable prices along with discount schemes through various sales events.” “Besides, there has been a growing emphasis on roping in brand ambassadors to capture customer mindshare,” she added. 

Emerging TWS brands  International brands too have started to make their presence felt in India’s TWS market. OPPO saw a 171 per cent YoY growth driven by its frequent new launches, Counterpoint explained. “The brand launched the Enco buds Air 2 Pro in Q2 2022 in the mid-price segment. It was the second most popular model after the Enco Buds in the brand’s TWS offerings,” it stated in its report. 

Others, including One Plus (Buds Pro), Samsung (Galaxy Buds), and Truke (Buds F1), are also “emerging brands” in the TWS market.  “The market is expected to grow 47 per cent in 2022 as new brands continue to arrive even as existing ones expand their channel presence. Besides, consumer demand is expected to rise during the festive period as people are also seeing TWS devices as a good option for gifting purposes,” Anshika Jain, Senior Research Analyst at Counterpoint, stated in the report.  Also Read: boAt Extend Talk smartwatch launched in India with Bluetooth calling feature Also Read: Review LG ToneFree FP9: Fully loaded earbuds

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