Lava and Ai+ will raise phone prices in India from 15 November, and both blame the same thing: memory chips have become scarce and expensive. You can still buy at the old prices until 14 November.
What changes at Ai+
Ai+ is adding ₹1,000 to ₹3,000 to selected phones, and most models go up by ₹2,000. Some examples:
- Pulse 2 (4GB+64GB): ₹8,999 to ₹10,999
- Pulse 2 (6GB+128GB): ₹10,999 to ₹12,999
- Nova 2 5G (4GB+64GB): ₹11,999 to ₹13,999
- Nova 2 Ultra 5G (8GB+128GB): ₹19,999 to ₹22,999
Some Nova 2 Neo, Power and Pro models also cost more, while the foldable NovaFlip 5G stays at ₹49,999. The old Ultra prices may include bank offers, so check the final price at checkout. This is Ai+’s second hike this year, after a ₹2,000 increase in August.
What about Lava?
Lava says prices will rise by up to ₹3,000, but it has not shared a model-wise list yet, so not every phone will go up by the full amount. It makes sense to wait for that list before you decide.
Why are memory chips so costly?
A phone uses two kinds of memory: DRAM, which keeps apps running smoothly, and NAND flash, which stores your photos and files. AI data centres need huge amounts of both, along with a special stacked kind of DRAM called high-bandwidth memory, which sits right next to AI processors. Chipmakers are shifting their factory lines towards these more profitable parts, so less capacity is left for the ordinary memory that goes into phones.
Supply cannot catch up quickly, because new chip factories take years to build and makers can mostly only improve output from the factories they already have, as TrendForce notes. IDC expects DRAM supply to grow only about 16% in 2026 and NAND about 17%, both below normal. With demand this strong, TrendForce says DRAM contract prices rose by 93% to 98% in the first three months of the year.
Who feels it most?
Budget buyers feel it most. Counterpoint Research says phone prices in India rose about 16% on average in the first half of 2026, while phones under ₹10,000 rose about 32%, so a ₹2,000 hike on an ₹8,999 phone is a jump of more than 22%.
People are responding by buying less. India’s phone shipments fell 10% in the June quarter, the biggest drop for that quarter in six years, and Counterpoint expects a 13% fall for the full year.
Should you buy now?
If you want an Ai+ phone, buy before 15 November, and compare the checkout price because festive offers may change what you pay. For Lava, wait for the official prices.
Quick relief is unlikely. IDC says the shortage may last into mid-2027, and Counterpoint says memory prices are unlikely to fall before 2028. Neither company has promised more hikes, but the cause behind this one has not gone away.
