itel has emerged as the top-ranked brand in the latest Cyber Media Research (CMR) report titled The Rising Role of Durability, Reliability, and Affordability in India’s Device Market. The study highlights durability, reliability, and affordability as key drivers shaping consumer device choices in India’s entry-level segment.
itel leads the sub-₹10,000 category with a Durability Index score of 0.86, ahead of Samsung (0.79) and Vivo (0.72). The brand also reports a base of 15 crore customers and presence in 80+ countries.
Performance across device categories
itel shows consistent performance across segments in the CMR Durability Index:
- Smartphones: 0.86 durability score
- Feature phones: 0.65 durability score
- Smart devices: 0.88 score, among the highest in the category
The results reflect cross-segment durability performance supported by portfolio strength and breadth.
Brand perception and rankings
Consumer perception data shows strong positioning across categories:
- Feature phones: itel leads with 91% durability perception, followed by HMD Global (89%) and Lava International (86%)
- Smartphones: itel ranks second with 85%, followed by Vivo at 84%
This places itel among the leading brands in durability perception across both segments.
Consumer trust and purchase intent
User feedback highlights brand associations and intent levels:
- 85% associate itel with value for money
- 81% associate it with strength and durability
- 79% associate it with design
- 74% consider it trustworthy and reliable
Among current users in feature phones:
- Affordability: 58%
- Reliability: 56%
- Durability: 53%
Future purchase interest:
- 51% for itel feature phones (HMD: 43%, Lava: 29%)
- 30% for itel smartphones, among the higher levels in the segment
Market shift in consumer priorities
Prabhu Ram, VP – Industry Research Group (IRG), CyberMedia Research (CMR), notes a structural shift in the sub-₹10,000 segment where durability, reliability, and affordability are becoming core purchase drivers.
He explains that consumers are prioritising everyday strength, consistent performance, practical design, and dependable service support. He adds that users increasingly link preferred brands with long-lasting build quality, trust, and usability.
He further notes that higher durability perception scores and reliability metrics are directly influencing purchase decisions and future buying intent across urban and aspirational markets, where durability has become a non-negotiable consideration at the point of purchase.
Speaking about the CMR study, Arijeet Talapatra, CEO of itel India said,
Durability is at the core of everything we build. We believe true innovation is measured not just by what we create, but by how long it lasts. We are honoured to receive this recognition from CMR, which reaffirms the durability and reliability that define itel’s products. The results of this study are a strong testament to how consistently we have delivered on our brand promise across price points and product categories.