Realme Achieves Highest Growth in India's Wearables Market Amid Overall Decline
In a challenging year for India's wearable technology sector, Realme emerged as the standout performer, recording the highest growth among all brands in 2025. According to the latest data from the International Data Corporation's India Monthly Wearable Device Tracker, Realme achieved this remarkable feat even as the overall wearables market experienced its second consecutive annual contraction.
Market Contraction and Price Trends
The overall wearables market in India declined by 4.0% year-over-year to 114.2 million units in 2025. This downturn was primarily driven by a significant 17.6% YoY decline in smartwatch shipments, which totaled 28.9 million units. Despite this contraction, the average selling price of wearable devices across the market rose by 1.8% to $20.3, indicating a clear consumer shift toward higher-priced, premium devices.
Realme's Impressive Performance
Realme ranked among the top five wearable brands in India, achieving an impressive 27.8% year-over-year growth and capturing a 6.2% share of the overall wearables market. In the competitive True Wireless Stereo (TWS) segment specifically, the brand secured the fifth position with 26.3% YoY growth and a 7.3% market share.
Category Leaders and Market Dynamics
Smartwatch Category: Noise (Nexxbase) maintained its leadership position in smartwatches with a commanding 26.6% market share, followed by Boat (Imagine Marketing) at 14.1% and Fire-Boltt at 9.7%.
TWS Segment: Nothing (including CMF) posted extraordinary 91.5% YoY growth, while OPPO (including OnePlus) grew by 38.2%. Both brands benefited significantly from stronger ecosystem integration and expanded channel presence.
Boat's Market Consolidation and Segment Performance
Boat further consolidated its position in the overall wearables market, increasing its share by 27.6% to reach 29.2%. The brand maintained a strong presence across multiple segments including true wireless, tethered, and over-the-ear devices.
The earwear segment provided some market comfort with a modest 1.4% YoY increase to 84.7 million units. Particularly noteworthy was the over-the-ear headphones segment, which saw explosive 65.4% YoY growth to 7.4 million units, driven by increasing hybrid work arrangements and demand for premium listening experiences.
Emerging Segments and Distribution Channels
Smart glasses began showing promising traction, with shipments increasing from a small base. This emerging category was led by brands including Lenskart, Meta, and Fire-Boltt.
Distribution channels witnessed significant shifts as offline retail continued gaining ground, expanding its share from 37.8% to 40.7%. Conversely, the online channel experienced an 8.4% YoY decline, reflecting changing consumer purchasing patterns.
Market Implications and Future Outlook
The 2025 wearables market data reveals several important trends. While the overall market contracted for the second consecutive year, certain segments and brands demonstrated remarkable resilience and growth. The increasing average selling price suggests consumers are willing to invest in higher-quality devices, while the shift toward offline retail indicates evolving shopping preferences.
Realme's performance stands out as particularly significant, demonstrating that strategic positioning and product offerings can yield substantial growth even in a contracting market. As the wearables industry continues to evolve, these trends will likely shape product development, marketing strategies, and distribution approaches for all major players in the Indian market.
