Windows Phone is the second-largest smartphone platform in India, after Android: IDC

Windows Phone is the second most widely used smartphone platform in India, according to an IDC Asia Pacific Mobile Phone Tracker report (for the quarter April-June 2013). The report mentions that the platform enjoys a market share of 5.4 per cent in the country, beating both Apple's iOS and Blackberry, and only behind market leader Android. The study reveals that this is third time in a row that the Windows phone OS has maintained its 2nd position in the Indian market, and credited the Nokia Lumia range of smartphones for driving the growth and popularity of the OS.

The Indian market is populated with various Windows OS devices including Nokia Lumia 520, 620, 625, 720, 820, 920, 925 and 1020. Also, since Nokia's decided to discontinue Symbian devices, the entire focus has moved to Windows OS-based Lumia range of smartphones. "Windows Phone powered Nokia Lumia devices have achieved a striking growth in their volumes within a very short time since their launch in India. With new Windows Phone devices getting launched at short intervals, we expect them to continue on this growth trajectory," said Manasi Yadav, senior market analyst, client devices, IDC India.

"Less than ten months back, when we launched Windows Phone 8 in India, we had set ourselves the goal of being the second most widely used smartphone platform in India, and we are excited to have achieved this milestone so quickly," said Vineet Durani, director - Windows phone business group, Microsoft Corporation India.

Android still rules the roost in the country. In the second quarter of 2013, a total of 9.3 million smartphones were shipped in India, and Android OS friendly handset manufacturers Samsung (26 per cent) and Micromax (22 per cent) accounted for almost half of this number. Nokia and Sony each had a 5 percent market share.