Predicting a market growth of only 6% in 2025, India’s PC market grew 12% YoY in Q3 2024, along with a 49% YoY surge in tablet shipments. Government and education sector key drivers?
The Indian PC market, which includes desktops, notebooks, and tablets, saw a 12% year-on-year growth (YoY) in Q3 2024, with total shipments reaching 6.3 million units.
According to a report by Canalys, the growth was driven largely by a 49% YoY increase in tablet shipments, totalling 1.9 million units. Notebooks also experienced steady growth, rising 3% to 3.5 million units, while desktop shipments declined by 12% YoY, reaching 780,000 units. Based on these trends, the market is expected to grow by 17% at the end of 2024, followed by a more moderate 6% increase in 2025.
The commercial PC segment performed well in Q3 2024, rising 2% due to strong demand from enterprises. However, the consumer segment slightly declined, mainly due to overstocking from the previous year.
Despite this, aggressive discounts in online channels helped mitigate the drop. In contrast, the tablet market had its best-ever quarter, with a 49% rise, driven by significant growth in the education sector, fuelled by the completion of the Uttar Pradesh education tender by Samsung and Acer.
Looking ahead, Canalys forecasts continued growth in the Indian PC market, particularly driven by demand from the education sector in 2024.
In the period between 2023 to 2025, the report predicts that total shipments are expected to grow from 13.5 million units in 2023 to 16.1 million units in 2025, reflecting an 8% growth in 2024 and a 10% increase in 2025.
The consumer segment will see steady growth, rising by 7% in 2024 and 9% in 2025. The commercial segment is projected to grow 8% in 2024 and 13% in 2025, while the government sector will experience strong growth with a 16% increase in 2024 and 22% in 2025. However, the education sector will see a decline in 2025, after growing by 33% in 2024, with a forecasted drop of 8%.
According to Ashweej Aithal, Analyst at Canalys, in 2025, the PC market growth is expected to shift towards small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and enterprises, spurred by a Windows 10 refresh cycle and the rise of AI-enabled PCs.
The tablet market will continue to benefit from government-driven education tenders, with more expected in the coming quarters.
Additionally, the Indian government’s new policy requiring 50% local sourcing for government tenders is expected to boost domestic manufacturing and reduce import dependency.
“While the policy has created short-term challenges due to infrastructure and supply chain readiness, it is ultimately positioned to reduce import dependency and bolster local manufacturing. The government’s openness to industry feedback signals a commitment to refining the policy, ensuring it aligns with market realities,” noted Aithal.
