Mobile phones major Nokia continues to have largest handset market share in India, the highly competitive market for telecom players. The firm retains 31.5 per cent share in the handset market according to market research and advisory firm IDC.

The Chinese brand G'Five and Korean handset manufacturer Samsung continued to be at second and third slot in terms of unit shipments during the third quarter of current financial year. Indian telecom market has become hotspot for telecom service providers and handset manufacturers across the world as total mobile handset sale is expected to cross 155.9 million units.

Emerging vendors in India's burgeoning mobile handsets market garnered 41.2 per cent of total shipments (sales) for the first time during the second quarter. Rising competition continued to decline smart phone price making the sale to register a year-on-year growth of 295 per cent.

Anirban Banerjee, associate vice president, Research, IDC India, added, "The India mobile handsets market got even more crowded and fragmented in the lower- and mid-market segments with the further entry of new players offering innovative models at attractive price points to lure buyers."