Gurugram/New Delhi, June 26, 2026: Evolving supply strategies and memory pricing pressures impacted flash device shipments in Q1 2026. According to CyberMedia Research’s (CMR) latest India Consumer Storage Flash Devices Market Review Report for Q1 2026, shipments of consumer storage devices—including MicroSD cards, SD cards, and USB pen drives—declined 27% year-on-year (YoY) and 20% quarter-on-quarter (QoQ).
Commenting on the market developments, Mukesh Sharma, Senior Analyst, Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CMR said, “The sustained increase in NAND flash prices is reshaping purchasing patterns across India’s consumer storage market. As pricing pressures persist, consumers are becoming increasingly selective in their buying decisions, gravitating toward more affordable storage options and value-oriented purchases. While higher average selling prices (ASPs) continue to support market value, demand remains measured as buyers balance storage requirements against affordability considerations. As a result, replacement cycles are lengthening, capacity upgrades are being deferred, and the market is gradually transitioning from volume-led growth to a more value-driven model.”
Key Insights from CMR:
Market Consolidation: The consumer flash storage market (USB flash drives, microSD cards, and SD cards) remained highly consolidated in Q1 2026, with leading brands capturing the dominant share of estimated market revenue based on shipment volumes and ASP analysis
- SanDisk led the market: SanDisk retained its leadership position with a 54% market share, supported by its strong retail presence and broad product portfolio.
- Lexar was placed second: Lexar secured the second position with a 14% market share, driven by competitive pricing and expanding channel reach.
Future Outlook
CMR projects India’s consumer storage market to decline by 5–8% in CY2026, reflecting continued pressure from elevated memory prices and subdued consumer demand.
“While shipment volumes may remain under pressure in the near term, the market is expected to stay value-led, supported by higher ASPs, growing adoption of premium storage solutions, and sustained demand from specialized applications such as surveillance, professional imaging, content creation, and edge storage. As supply conditions stabilize, the market is likely to witness a gradual recovery driven by performance-oriented and high-capacity storage requirements,” added Bhaskar Negi, Analyst – Industry Intelligence Group (IIG) at CyberMedia Research (CMR).
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Notes for Editors
- CyberMedia Research (CMR) is a pioneering market intelligence and consulting firm that runs a comprehensive quarterly market update on the India Consumer Storage market. CMR’s India Quarterly Consumer Storage Flash Memory Market Review covers Micro SD cards, SD cards and Flash drives sold via distributors and retail outlets. The report accounts for ‘legal’ shipments but does not include bundled or ‘grey’ market shipments or units brought from abroad by individuals as a part of personal baggage.
- CMR uses the term “shipments” to describe the number of consumer storage flash memory devices leaving the factory premises for OEM sales or stocking by distributors and retailers. For the convenience of media, the term ‘shipment’ is sometimes replaced by “sales” in the press release, but this reflects the market size in terms of units of consumer storage flash memory devices and not their absolute value. In the case of flash memory devices imported into the country, it represents the number leaving the first warehouse to OEMs, distributors and retailers.
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About CyberMedia Research and Services Ltd
A part of CyberMedia (www.cybermedia.co.in), South Asia’s largest specialty media and media services group, CyberMedia Research (CMR) has been a front runner in market research, consulting and advisory services since 1986.
CMR offers research-based insights and marketing consultancy services – market intelligence, market sizing, stakeholder satisfaction, growth opportunity identification, incubation advisory, and go-to-market services – covering the Information Technology, Telecommunications, Semiconductors, Electronics & Smart Infrastructure, Government, Energy & Utilities and Lifesciences sectors, as well as the large enterprise, SMB and consumer user segments.
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CyberMedia Research, a division of Cyber Media Research and Services Ltd., is a member of the Market Research Society of India (www.mrsi.in).
