TWS shipments hit 8.4 million units in 2020: techARC report

According to the report, Xiaomi led the TWS space with a 14.7% market share.

The highlight of the year was boAT as the company carved out its space in the market without having any root in the smartphone industry. (David Delima/HT Tech)

Total shipments of TWS devices in India hit 8.4 million units amounting to ₹2,432 crore in the calendar year 2020, according to a new techARC report.

The report said that Xiaomi led the TWS space with a 14.7% market share. boAt grabbed a 13.9% market share to grab the second spot. Realme was at the third spot 13.6% market share.

The highlight of the year was boAT as the company carved out its space in the market without having any root in the smartphone industry. Both Realme and Xiaomi are strong smartphone players. The Indian startup may face stronger competition in 2021 as more smartphone companies and others will step up their game. Earlier this year, boAt had raised $100 million from US private equity firm Warburg Pincus.

TWS market share (techARC)

TWS market share (techARC)

Even as Xiaomi led the market in terms of shipments, Apple bagged close to 35% of market shares based on revenue (in INR). OnePlus and Xiaomi ranked second and third, respectively.

Commenting on the growth of this accessory category, Faisal Kawoosa, founder & chief analyst of, techARC said, “With the remote working growing substantially due to work-from-home practice, TWS has become an essential accessory for smartphone users. At the same time, the ecosystem has aligned to enhance the experience of near-real audio.”

“Covid-19 has had a positive impact on this product category almost doubling its size. Our expectations for 2020 was in the range of 4.5-5 million units,” added Faisal.

Separately, a Counterpoint Research report said that the TWS market grew by a whopping 641% year-on-year in the final quarter of 2020. the TWS earbuds shipment touched the 10 million mark in the final quarter of the past year, the report added.

According to the report, boAt captured the top spot with 30% of the total market share. It was followed by OnePlus, Realme, Xiaomi and pTron on the second, third, fourth and fifth spots with 12%, 10%, 7% and 7% market shares, respectively.