Prabhu RamThe sale of smartphones through online retailers like Flipkart and Amazon is picking up in India these days, and it is expected that online sales of smartphones are set to cross the 50-million mark in a year for the first time this year. CMR estimates the online sales of smartphones in the fourth quarter of 2018 will increase by 60-65 percent year-on-year basis, while off-the-shelves purchases are likely to fall 4-6 percent.
Online sales are also being driven by new value-added services, including extended warranties, provided by the e-retailers, said Prabhu Ram, head-industry intelligence group at CMR.
