Xiaomi finally cracks top 5 as India’s smartphone market hits record high

Xiaomi’s Hugo Barra in India earlier this month, celebrating selling one million phones during the holiday season. Photo credit: Hugo’s Facebook.

Xiaomi is having a really bad year in its home nation, but the Chinese gadget maker is faring much better in India. For the first time ever, Xiaomi is now one of India’s top five best selling smartphone brands, shows data released today by IDC.

Samsung still leads the way in India, with China’s Lenovo moving up to second spot; India’s Micromax is third, just ahead of rising Xiaomi.

India hit a record high 30 million smartphones shipped from July to September.

Xiaomi last month made waves with its screen-tastic Mi Mix, which is now on sale in China. Photo credit: Xiaomi.

See: Hugo Barra talks Mi Mix, the bezel-less phone made for Xiaomi’s ‘hardcore fans’

Doubling up

“We will be able to capture the largest market share in India within three to five years,” predicted Xiaomi founder and boss Lei Jun last month. The Beijing-based company had a stellar Indian holiday season, selling 1 million smartphones in 18 days during Diwali.

Xiaomi’s shipments doubled over the previous quarter in India, says IDC. It now holds 7.4 percent of the market for new smartphones in the nation, only one decimal place short of beating Micromax. India’s top phone maker is struggling as Chinese brands invade the fast-growing market for affordable smartphones, where people are rapidly ditching their old flip phones.

The news is a boost to Xiaomi as it faces up to being booted from first to fourth in the Chinese market.