India’s TWS market shipments declined 2% YoY in Q1 2026, as growth from first-time buyers in urban areas slowed, according to Counterpoint’s Consumer IoT service. Brands are streamlining their portfolios, and the market is increasingly driven by replacement upgrades. Brands are expanding their portfolios in entry-level segments with targeted feature upgrades to offer compelling value while also preserving premium differentiation to drive consumer demand. 

The premiumization upgrades are on the rise, due to the growing replacement demand. The ASP grew 9% YoY in Q1 2026. OnePlus, Apple, and Samsung took nearly 70% of the >INR 5,000 price segment. Increased consumer trust in smartphone brands is pushing high-end purchases toward ecosystem-led choices with more focus on smooth integration and AI-driven personalisation with features like gaming spatial tuning, Equalisers, health functions, and premium design. Commenting on the value proposition, Principal Analyst Anshika Jain noted, “Revenue grew 7% YoY in Q1 2026, driven by rising adoption of advanced features such as adaptive audio, effective noise cancellation, and multi-device connectivity.” 

Assessing the entry-level price band, Jain noted, “The sub-INR 1,000 price segment captured a 30% market share in Q1 2026. Indian brands such as boAt, GOBOULT, Noise, and Mivi pushed feature-rich devices with 50-hour playtime and AI-based ENC. Brands are also expanding their reach to capture the untapped potential in the Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets. The expansion of quick commerce is also widening the reach of entry-level devices, particularly for impulse and last-minute gifting purposes.” 

 India TWS Shipment Market Share by Price Band, Q1 2025 vs Q1 2026 

Interestingly, new launches in the India TWS segment have doubled to over 60 SKUs in Q1 2026 from more than 30 SKUs in Q1 2025, extending the portfolio refresh cycle seen during the 2025 festive period. Brands are shifting their focus toward experience-driven features such as Hi-Res Audio, multi-device connectivity and immersive audio as playtime becomes a baseline expectation. Brands are increasingly experimenting with new form factors such as open-ear clip designs, while also investing in in-house design capabilities and limited-edition products. 

India TWS New Launches by Price Band (SKU Basis), Q1 2025 vs Q1 2026 

AI features are increasingly being added across price tiers. AI-based environmental noise cancellation grew four times in the <INR 1,000 segment. Adaptive audio adoption recorded 2x growth in the >INR 5,000 segment. Features such as AI translation and transparency modes are also gaining traction in the premium segment. The INR 2,001-INR 5,000 price band is turning into an innovation sweet spot by adding premium-like features such as case haptics, spatial audio, and head tracking to more affordable products. This is encouraging consumers to spend a little more for meaningful feature upgrades. 

India’s TWS market is expected to grow 2% YoY in 2026 with rising digital content consumption as demand is increasingly driven by practical advancements that encourage device upgrades. Brands are expected to adopt Edge AI enhancements to enable real-time sound personalisation and reduce latency. The market is also likely to see experimentation with hybrid form factors, such as earbuds embedded in smartwatches, alongside bundled offerings with smartphones and other devices during the festive season. 

*Revenue in this report represents Retail Revenue, while the premium segment is defined as TWS devices priced above INR 5,000.

Feel free to contact us at [email protected] for questions regarding our latest research and insights. The Consumer IoT research relies on sell-in (shipments) estimates based on India imports, and local manufacturing data, triangulated with OEM Feedback, channel feedback, and secondary research.

You can also  visit our Data Section (updated quarterly) to view the other CIoT market insights across region/countries.

About Counterpoint Research 

Counterpoint Research is a global market research firm specializing in products across the technology ecosystem. We advise a diverse range of clients – from smartphone OEMs to chipmakers and channel players to Big Tech – through our offices located in the world's major innovation hubs, manufacturing clusters and commercial centers. Our analyst team, led by seasoned experts, engages with stakeholders across the enterprise – from the C-suite to professionals in strategy, analyst relations (AR), market intelligence (MI), business intelligence (BI), product and marketing – to deliver services spanning market data, industry thought leadership and consulting. Our core areas of coverage include AI, Automotive, Consumer Electronics, Displays, eSIM, IoT, Location Platforms, Macroeconomics, Manufacturing, Networks and Infrastructure, Semiconductors, Smartphones and Wearables. Visit our Insights page to explore our publicly available market data, insights and thought leadership, and to understand our focus, meet our analysts and start a conversation. 

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