India’s TWS Market Remains Flat in 2025, But Q4 Delivers Strong 12% YoY Growth
- India’s TWS market entered a performance-led upgrade cycle in 2025, with ANC-enabled devices growing 24% YoY and spatial audio capabilities expanding with 67% YoY growth.
- realme and OnePlus recorded their highest annual shipment volumes in 2025, registering 22% YoY and 21% YoY growth, respectively, supported by strong demand for the Techlife and Nord Buds 3 series.
- Open‑wear stereo (OWS) gained traction, with over 20 brands integrating OWS into their product portfolios.
- Offline channels continued to hold strategic importance, seeing 10% YoY growth.
New Delhi, Beijing, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Fort Collins, Hong Kong, London, Seoul, Taipei, Tokyo - March 02, 2026
India’s TWS market recorded a modest 1% YoY shipment growth in 2025, according to Counterpoint Research’s Consumer IoT Service. Growth remained muted due to a shrinking pool of first-time users, though steady replacement demand driven by rising consumption of rich digital content supported volumes. Momentum strengthened in Q4 2025, with festive demand, portfolio refreshes, and AI-led feature upgrades driving 12% YoY growth, marking a recovery from the market’s first downturn in Q4 2024.
boAt, GOBOULT and Noise maintained their market dominance but faced increasing competition from Chinese players. OnePlus and realme posted their highest‑ever annual shipments in 2025, growing 21% and 22% YoY, respectively. OnePlus strengthened differentiation through AI-enabled features, such as AI noise cancellation, live translation and 3D audio, priced below INR 2,500, while reinforcing its premium positioning (above INR 5,000) with high-dB ANC, dual DACs, and LHDC support. realme is strengthening its product lineup with the Air and Techlife series, targeting various price segments and user needs.
Commenting on feature innovations, Principal Analyst Anshika Jain said, “Devices offering ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) saw a 24% YoY growth, and spatial audio expanded with 67% YoY growth. Nearly 40% of devices supporting these features are positioned in the INR 1,000-INR 2,000 price band. This trend reflects stronger awareness of the everyday value TWS delivers while commuting, working or exercising. The growing availability of lossless and immersive audio on streaming platforms is further accelerating the application of Hi-Res and Spatial Audio.”
Commenting on form factors, Jain said, “Open‑wear stereo (OWS) designs are advancing rapidly in quality, design and ergonomics. Over 20 brands now offer at least one OWS model, and shipments nearly quadrupled in 2025, yet the segment remains in its early stages, highlighting significant untapped potential. CES 2026 further underscored global momentum as brands improved sound quality to rival in‑ear models and introduced ANC in open‑ear designs.”
India Hearables (TWS) Market Share of Top 5 Brands, 2025 vs 2024
Online channels continued to dominate the market. However, offline shipments grew by 10% YoY, driven by increased focus on experience stores, marketing campaigns and wider model availability, with GOBOULT seeing the highest growth among top brands. In online platforms, Flipkart maintained its lead, while Amazon witnessed growth due to a sharp expansion in entry‑level models.
India’s TWS market is projected to grow in low single digits YoY in 2026, supported by steady demand and focused innovations that drive meaningful upgrades. As consumers seek smarter audio experiences, brands integrating practical AI capabilities are set to gain a competitive edge. With touch controls now standard, the premium segment is moving toward more intuitive gesture‑based interactions, while emerging health and fitness features continue to pull users toward higher‑end devices, signalling a more intelligent, experience‑led market evolution.
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.
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Author
Anshika Jain
Anshika is a Principal Analyst at Counterpoint Research with over 13 years of experience in market research and business intelligence. She currently leads the Global Consumer IoT domain, focusing on wearables, hearables, smart home, and emerging technologies. Previously, she managed various research and consulting projects across sectors such as BFSI and Telecom. Additionally, she has significant client-handling experience with major multinational companies. Anshika holds an MBA in Finance from IMT Ghaziabad and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Hansraj College, Delhi University.