Singapore – Nearly 70% of set-top boxes (STB) installed in Indian households are imported from foreign manufacturers, especially from China. In 2011, Huawei was the top STB vendor in India with 24% market share, followed by Pace with 12% market share, according to a new report from ABI Research. Chang Hong, Cisco and Skyworth are also selling STBs in India.

​The Indian STB market has been growing at a steady pace over the past few years. A strong surge towards satellite platforms took place in 2011, representing 80% of the Indian market. The government’s cable TV digitisation policy is also expected to further drive STB deployments. Meanwhile, despite the large cable TV subscriber base in India, satellite TV growth will slow somewhat from the 10 million consumers that added services last year.

High-definition STB adoption in India currently accounts for only 11% of overall shipments. “The increasing adoption of HDTV sets and cable TV digitisation is expected to bring more HD channels and HD services in India,” said research analyst Khin Sandi Lynn.