Tablet shipments in India fell below the million-unit mark for the first time in two years
As per the latest report from Canalys for Q1 2023, the Indian PC market (desktops, notebooks and tablets) witnessed a significant fall of 35% year-on-year and shipped around 3.9 million units. While desktop shipments fell down 7% to 859,000 units, notebook shipments faced a major downfall of 41% and reached 2.1 million units. Tablet shipments underwent a similar decline of 37% and 987,000 units were shipped. While education shipments declined 45% in this quarter, consumer and commercial segment shipments fell 34%. Nevertheless, Canalys reported that the overall shipments in the quarter remain above pre-pandemic levels, 47% higher than in Q1 2019. Canalys noted that tablet shipments in India fell below the million-unit mark for the first time in eight quarters. For 2024, Canalys forecasts that the Indian PC market (including tablets) will see a major rebound with an 11% growth. It predicted a further 13% growth in 2025.
As per Canalys Analyst Ashweej Aithal, all end-user segments are suffering from a short-term slowdown in demand, market saturation and elevated inventory level. Aithal quoted a recent survey by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to convey that consumer confidence is on an upward trend, and there has been an improvement in sentiment regarding general economic conditions. “Meanwhile, business confidence levels have come down from the highs of 2022 but remain well above the historical average. Education and public sector tenders that had been on hold for an extended period are expected to close by June, which will help drive shipments in the second half of the year. All this suggests that while the market is currently experiencing a dip, a recovery is anticipated, and India will be an increasingly important market for the global industry.”
Regarding future estimates, Aithal added, “Vendors remain optimistic about the Indian market and are taking steps to target its growing consumer base. HP announced its first gaming experience zones, known as Omen Playground stores, in February, with a plan to expand to over 40 outlets over the course of the year. Apple opened its first stores in Mumbai and New Delhi in April. Beyond the move to drive interest through offline retail locations, vendors are also increasingly turning to manufacture in India, helping ensure future supply to the market and allowing them to tap into new commercial opportunities.”
Despite suffering a 30% fall in its shipments, HP led the PC market by holding around 34% market share. Dell, Lenovo, Acer and Asus followed respectively in the remaining top five positions, all suffering a decline in shipments.
Canalys is an independent analyst company which delivers smart market insights to IT, channel and service provider professionals around the world.
