X-twitter Facebook Instagram Youtube Linkedin
At IndiaVerve, we go beyond the noise to bring you meaningful stories of change, resilience and progress—from India to the world stage. Our mission is to bring readers credible, wide-ranging coverage across politics, business, sports, culture, society and more.
At IndiaVerve, we go beyond the noise to bring you meaningful stories of change, resilience and progress—from India to the world stage. Our mission is to bring readers credible, wide-ranging coverage across politics, business, sports, culture, society and more.
X-twitter Facebook Instagram Youtube Linkedin

Day: February 18, 2026

Vivo ranked no.1 smartphone brand in India: IDC

by

New Delhi: Vivo continues to remain the most popular mobile brand among Indian consumers, according to a report published by the International Data Corporation (IDC) in its Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.

The report stated that India’s smartphone market closed 2025 on a flat note, growing marginally by 0.5% year-on-year (YoY) to reach 152 million units. After a slow start to the year, shipments rebounded during the mid-year quarters (2Q–3Q25) before easing again in the final quarter.

IDC further said that shipments declined 5% YoY to 34 million units in the fourth quarter of 2025 (4Q25). India emerged as Apple’s fourth-largest market globally in 2025, after the US, China, and Japan. The American company sold a record 14 million units in the country, registering 16% YoY growth – the fastest among its top five global markets.

In India’s overall smartphone market, Apple ranked fifth with a 10% volume share. Aditya Rampal, Senior Research Analyst, Devices Research, IDC Asia Pacific, said that contrary to the typical post-festive pattern of extended discounting and inventory clearance, the fourth quarter of 2025 witnessed a notable increase in average selling prices, which rose 4% YoY to USD 279.

Smartphone shipments powered by Qualcomm processors grew 23% year-on-year in 2025, pushing Qualcomm’s market share to 30%. The growth was driven by strong shipments from brands such as Xiaomi, POCO, OPPO, and Nothing.

Meanwhile, MediaTek’s market share declined to 46% in 2025, down from 54% in the previous year, after recording a 15% year-on-year drop in shipments. The offline smartphone retail channel recorded its highest shipment levels in the past six years, according to an IDC media release. Offline sales grew 12% year-on-year, expanding market share to 57% in 2025, compared with 51% in 2024.

OPPO maintained its market position due to its strong offline retail network. As Xiaomi’s market share declined, brands including realme, Motorola, and iQOO gained momentum and improved their rankings. Nothing emerged as the fastest-growing smartphone brand in 2025, registering a robust 45% year-on-year growth in shipments.

No compromise on farmers’ interests: Chouhan

by

New Delhi: Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, on Tuesday, made it clear that there would never be any compromise on farmers’ interests.

Speaking to reporters, Chouhan categorically said that, as the country’s agriculture minister, it was his responsibility to assure farmers that no compromise had been made on Indian farmers’ interests in any agreement. He was referring to the recently concluded India–US Trade Agreement, according to an official statement. In his words, the door is firmly closed to sensitive crops, such as wheat, rice, and maize.

Chouhan went on to state that India is now the world’s number one rice producer, having surpassed China. Therefore, no imports that could harm farmers have been accepted.

Regarding the apple issue, the minister pointed out that India requires approximately 5.5 lakh metric tonnes of apples every year, which are currently imported from countries such as Turkey and Iran.

He said that even if one lakh metric tonnes of apples are imported from the US out of the total annual requirement, under a quota system with a Rs25 duty added to the base import price of Rs80 per kg, it would not adversely impact Indian apple growers. Instead, he described it as merely a shift in sourcing from countries like Turkey to the US.

On soybeans and maize, the minister made it unequivocally clear that no concessions have been granted. He further pointed out that during the Congress-led government, agricultural imports worth USD20 billion were allowed, including dairy products.

Chouhan emphasised that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has issued clear instructions that no dairy products – including milk, ghee, curd, paneer or any other such items – will be permitted to enter the Indian market under any circumstances, to safeguard the interests of the country’s milk-producing farmers.