India’s TV Market Is Shrinking, But Demand for Bigger, Better TVs Is Growing

India’s TV market is going through an interesting shift. Smart-TV shipments fell 3% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, as cautious households delayed big-ticket purchases and demand at the entry level weakened. Yet the people who are buying televisions are increasingly moving beyond the basic replacement purchase.

They are looking for bigger screens, sharper panels, better gaming features and a TV that can become the centre of the living room. India may not be buying more TVs overall, but it is clearly buying better ones when it does.

That change is visible in both market data and brand portfolios. Xiaomi, for instance, says it now has a TV user base of 1.3 crore in India. Its growth at the higher end mirrors a broader consumer appetite for a more immersive and connected home-entertainment experience.

The 55-Inch TV Is Becoming the New Upgrade

The clearest sign of this shift is screen size. Counterpoint Research says 55-inch-and-above TVs were the fastest-growing category in Q1 2026, accounting for nearly a third of all smart-TV shipments.

Not long ago, a 55-inch screen was the kind of purchase people made only while setting up a home theatre. Now, lower panel costs, finance schemes and a far better streaming experience have made it a much more realistic upgrade for families. A larger TV makes a difference when watching sport, films or live events, and it is increasingly expected to double up as a gaming screen.

Xiaomi’s own sales underline that movement. The contribution of 55-inch-and-above TVs within its portfolio rose 200% year-on-year. Its 75-inch QLED TV saw roughly 10x growth compared with the company’s previous 75-inch offering, showing that the appetite for genuinely large screens is no longer restricted to a tiny niche.

Better Picture Quality Is No Longer Only for Premium Buyers

The transition is also about display technology, not just inches. QLED televisions accounted for around 30% of the market in Q1 2026, up from 14% a year earlier. Conventional LED, meanwhile, fell from 83% to 63% of shipments.

What is especially telling is where QLED demand is coming from. The ₹20,000-30,000 segment saw strong growth, suggesting that better colour, brightness and contrast are reaching buyers who would previously have settled for a basic LED set.

MiniLED is growing even faster, rising more than 13 times year-on-year from a small base. It remains most relevant to 55-inch-and-above models, but it reflects a willingness among buyers to pay more for a visibly superior picture. Xiaomi, which is now trying to expand its portfolio beyond smartphones and into home appliances and smart home products in India under its Human x Car x Home Strategy, says it recorded 6x growth in its QLED segment last year, another indication that this upgrade is spreading beyond the ultra-premium end of the market.

TVs Are Being Bought as Experiences, Not Appliances

The modern TV has a different job from the one it had a decade ago. It is where people watch OTT shows in 4K, follow cricket and football, play console games, control connected devices and spend time together at home.

That does not mean affordability has stopped mattering. It plainly does, especially when entry-level TV prices are rising and overall demand remains under pressure. But the buyer who does choose to spend is increasingly choosing a screen that feels meaningfully better than what they already own.

That is the real change in India’s TV market. The upgrade is no longer simply from old to new. It is from functional to immersive.