{
  "id": 12261119,
  "title": "Brands absorb EMI costs to lift demand",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/brands-absorb-emi-costs-to-lift-demand",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-06T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Economic Times",
    "slug": "the-economic-times",
    "url": "https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/cons-products/electronics/festive-demand-on-easy-finance-samsung-vivo-xiaomi-and-others-stretch-emis-to-30-months-bear-interest-costs/articleshow/134715695.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Smartphone and electronics brands are extending EMI payment periods up to 30 months this festive season, a significant increase from the typical 8 to 10 months. This move, aimed at lowering monthly payments and making high-priced phones more affordable, absorbs the financing costs and helps counter rising prices, which have raised smartphone sales by more than 12% year-to-date. With handset prices soaring 30-35% on average, brands like Samsung, Vivo, Realme, Xiaomi, Oppo and Nothing are offering extended financing schemes, including 30-month no-cost EMI options for foldable and S26 series smartphones. Xiaomi, Realme, and Vivo are also offering 18-month and 24-month EMI schemes on various product categories, including televisions and appliances. The adoption of finance options, particularly for higher-priced premium products, has increased, with consumer finance schemes now accounting for 42-43% of smartphone sales this year, up from 35% last year. Retailers and e-commerce platforms anticipate this trend to grow, with finance-led purchases expected to comprise nearly half of high-value electronics purchases during the festive season.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Smartphone brands extend EMI periods up to 30 months during festive season",
    "EMI extensions absorb financing costs, counter rising smartphone prices",
    "Finance options account for 42-43% of smartphone sales this year"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}