Premiumisation drives India’s consumer electronics launches in Q2 2026, shows Techarc report

Techarc’s Q2 2026 market report records 257 consumer electronics launches across four categories, highlighting a sharp shift towards premium products, wider product variants, AI-led features and continued momentum in Make-in-India manufacturing.

India’s consumer electronics market witnessed a strong mix of premium product launches and sustained mass-market expansion during the second quarter of 2026, according to Techarc’s latest India Consumer Electronics New Launch Market Report – Q2 2026 (April–June). The report tracked 257 launch entries across smartphones, Smart TVs, laptops and tablets, reflecting evolving brand strategies around pricing, product portfolios and technology adoption.

Smart TVs accounted for the highest number of launches during the quarter with 113 entries, followed by smartphones at 99, laptops at 38 and tablets at seven. The report counts both unique models and their variants, offering a comprehensive view of product introductions across the four categories.

Premiumisation emerges as a key trend

The report identifies premiumisation as the defining trend of the quarter, with brands continuing to address mass-market demand while simultaneously expanding their premium offerings.

In smartphones, the average operating price (AOP) of new launches climbed to ₹35,990, representing an increase of nearly 69 per cent over Q2 2025 after two years dominated by budget-oriented launches. The laptop segment also moved further up the value chain, with 44.7 per cent of launches priced above ₹1.5 lakh. In Smart TVs, the above-65-inch category emerged as the largest launch segment, accounting for 34.5 per cent of all introductions during the quarter.

Product variants drive portfolio expansion

Another key trend highlighted in the report is the growing reliance on product variants to expand market reach. Smartphone launch entries increased significantly year-on-year, rising from 38 in Q2 2025 to 99 in Q2 2026. However, the number of unique smartphone models increased from 38 to 53, indicating that brands are increasingly using RAM and storage variants to cover multiple price points rather than launching entirely new devices.

A similar strategy was observed in the Smart TV category, where several product series were introduced in multiple screen sizes. By comparison, laptops and tablets continued to be launched largely as single-SKU products.

Brand concentration and AI become more prominent

The report also points to strong brand concentration across product categories. Realme led smartphone launch volume with 12 entries from four models, while Asus contributed 52.6 per cent of all laptop launches, making it the most dominant brand in the category. Samsung retained its leadership in Smart TVs with a 29.2 per cent share of launches and maintained an almost identical launch count for the third consecutive year. In tablets, launches were evenly distributed across five brands, with OnePlus and Moto each extending a single model line into two configurations.

On the technology front, AI capabilities and advanced connectivity continued to move into the mainstream. Nearly 87.9 per cent of smartphone launches supported 5G, while 96 per cent featured displays with refresh rates of 120Hz or above. Among laptops, 78.9 per cent of launches were Copilot+ certified, reflecting the growing emphasis on AI-enabled computing.

The report also found that Make-in-India manufacturing remained strong, accounting for 99 per cent of smartphone launches and 95.6 per cent of Smart TVs. Laptop manufacturing continued to rely more on imports, with domestic production accounting for 63.2 per cent of launches. Techarc noted that the relatively low number of tablet launches during the quarter reflected seasonal product cycles rather than a decline in market demand, noting that the tracker had recorded 18 tablet launches in March 2026 alone.