India Turns Premium, Smart and Health-First in 2025: Croma Year-End Consumer Trends

Mumbai, December 25: Indian consumers are increasingly embracing premium, smart and health-focused technology, signalling a shift from price sensitivity to convenience-first and value-driven living, according to the Year-End Consumer Trends 2025 released by Croma, the omni-channel electronics retailer from the Tata Group.

The year-end analysis highlights a confident upgrade mindset across categories, with consumers opting for premium features, smart convenience and health-centric appliances across Croma’s nationwide online and offline network.

Premium smartphones and AI-led computing drive upgrades

Smartphones remained central to consumer upgrades in 2025, with overall sales posting strong year-on-year growth. The data shows that one in three phones sold fell in the ₹20,000–₹30,000 price band, while nearly one in five purchases was a flagship or super-flagship model. Premium price corridors such as ₹50,000–₹58,000 recorded a surge of over 300%, reflecting aspirational trade-ups driven by content creation, gaming, AI capabilities and advanced camera features.

The laptop market also recorded double-digit growth, marked by a clear shift towards premium and AI-enabled devices. Gaming laptops saw growth of over 25% in high-performance professional models, while ultra-thin laptops in the non-gaming segment posted a two-fold increase. Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi emerged as leading markets driving this AI-first computing wave.

Home entertainment goes big

Indian households increasingly brought cinema-like experiences into their living rooms in 2025. Bengaluru led sales of 65-inch televisions, while Mumbai topped demand for ultra-large 75-inch-and-above TVs. Gurugram emerged as the most future-ready market, recording the highest preference for 8K-ready televisions. Audio products also saw strong traction, with Delhi NCR leading demand for immersive sound systems.

Energy-efficient and smart cooling gains traction

Cooling remained a resilient category, with Delhi and Mumbai almost neck-and-neck in air-conditioner demand. Energy efficiency emerged as a key purchase driver, with one in four ACs sold nationally being a 5-star rated model. In Delhi, one in three AC purchases fell in the 5-star category. Notably, 32% of all ACs sold were smart ACs, while north India witnessed growing demand for all-season ACs that double as heaters and consume significantly less electricity than conventional room heaters.

Premium appliances and health-first choices rise

Large home appliances continued to move up the value curve. Front-load washing machines recorded strong double-digit growth, led by Bengaluru and Pune. In refrigerators, Delhi emerged as the top market for side-by-side models, followed by Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad, indicating rising demand for larger, high-capacity appliances.

Health-focused appliances also gained momentum. Air fryer sales jumped nearly 38% year-on-year, with Mumbai leading adoption. Air purifiers saw expanding demand beyond Delhi NCR into Mumbai and Bengaluru, driven by growing air-quality concerns. Water purifiers posted a standout year, with Bengaluru emerging as the largest market, followed by Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad.

Smart convenience appliances double

Automated and robotic appliances emerged as the fastest-growing category, with sales nearly doubling in 2025. Bengaluru stood out as India’s leading market for robotic solutions, underlining the growing appetite for smart convenience at home.

Commenting on the trends, a spokesperson at Infiniti Retail Ltd said the data reflects a maturing consumer market where purchases are increasingly driven by experience, relevance and long-term utility rather than price alone.

From smartphones and computing to kitchens, cooling and health appliances, Croma said 2025 marked a decisive shift towards premium, smart and wellness-oriented living in Indian homes, setting the tone for sustained upgrades in the coming years.