Apple's iPhone has been named as Indias most reputed mobile phone brand, followed by Samsung and domestic brand Micromax.
According to a report "India's Most Reputed Mobile Phone Brands 2017" by media analytics company BlueBytes and business intelligence company TRA Research, Apple's iPhone has the highest positive media appearances in terms of sheer volume.
"In a cluttered space like the mobile phone industry, with diverse brands attempting to capture consumer attention, customers buy and recommend on the basis of reputation, making it the most important influencer of buying decisions," said Pooja Kaura, Chief Spokesperson for "India's Most Reputed Brands".
China's Xiaomi and Finland's Nokia secured fourth and fifth position respectively.
Despite calls for boycott of Chinese goods from some in social media, the sales of Chinese smartphones were reported to be on the rise due to growing acceptance of brands like Vivo, Oppo, Huawei, Xiaomi and Lenovo, a Xinhua report said on October, 2016.
Xiaomi had a "set a record" by selling more than 1 million smartphones in India from October 1-October 18.
The Chinese company became the third-largest smartphone vendor in India's top 30 cities with a market share of 8.4 per cent, according to market research firm IDC.
Seventy two mobile phone brands were listed from 12 different countries in the report, of which Indian origin brands held 29 positions.
Chinese brands Lenovo, Huawei, and Motorola -- now owned by Lenovo -- ranked sixth, seventh and eighth respectively.
Vivo, another domestic smartphone brand, also is aiming to expand its business in India, by tripling its monthly production as well as starting online sales.
Data from the cctime.com in August 2016 showed that Chinese smartphone brands accounted for more than 25 per cent of India's market in terms of shipment by the end of June, up from 19 per cent at the end of 2015.
"As China's mobile phone market is somewhat saturated, it's a right choice that domestic brands have started to explore the gigantic Indian market, which is full of opportunities as many people in India still do not own a smartphone. Our brands are looking into the future of India's mobile phone market," Liu Dingding, a Beijing-based independent tech expert, told the Global Times.
However, the mobile phone market in India is not a blank canvas, and Chinese smartphone makers have to face competition not only from international mobile phone giants like Apple -- which had a market share of about 12 per cent in the Indian market in terms of shipment by the end of June -- but also from local Indian mobile phone makers like Lava, Micromax and a variety of smaller brands.
Chinese mobile phones are cheaper than brands like Apple, but they are of high quality, Liu said.
Also, Chinese brands are actively broadening sales channels in India by cooperating with local agencies and communications corporations, helping them broaden market share in the country.
LG (South Korea) and Intex Technologies (India) figure last in the list.