NEW DELHI: India's traditional PC market, which includes desktops, notebooks, and workstations, achieved an all-time high of 4.49 million units shipped in the third quarter of 2024 (3Q24), reflecting a modest 0.1% year-over-year (YoY) growth, according to data from IDC. While the overall market saw growth, performance across different categories varied. The desktop category continued to face challenges, declining by 8.1% YoY, as demand for traditional desktops continues to wane in favor of more portable devices. In contrast, the notebook and workstation categories showed marginal growth, with notebooks rising by 2.8% YoY and workstations growing by 2.4% YoY, indicating steady demand for laptops and specialised computing devices.
Consumer segment declines
In 3Q24, the consumer segment saw a 2.9% YoY decline, despite vendors aggressively discounting PCs on e-tail platforms. This decline was largely due to a more balanced demand environment this year, with fewer overstocking issues compared to 3Q23. The commercial segment, however, grew by 4.4% YoY, driven by businesses investing in new devices for their employees. The enterprise segment experienced even stronger growth, up 9.6% YoY, fueled by enterprises refreshing their IT infrastructure.
Leading PC brands in India
When it comes to brand performance, HP Inc. led the market with a share of 29% in 3Q24, maintaining its leadership in both the commercial and consumer segments. HP had a particularly strong quarter, shipping 1.05 million notebooks, its third biggest shipment quarter ever. This was driven by a 30.2% YoY growth in the enterprise segment and strong demand for consumer notebooks during the festive season.
Lenovo, the Chinese laptop maker, ranked second with a 17.3% share, while Dell Technologies secured third place with 14.6% of the market. In the commercial segment, Dell came second behind HP, with a 20.8% market share and a 4.7% YoY growth.
The Acer Group tied with Dell for third place, also holding 14.6% market share. Acer saw impressive 26.2% YoY growth in 3Q24. Asus, ranked fifth with a 9.7% market share, faced a 22.3% YoY decline, largely due to a leaner inventory compared to the previous year. However, Asus performed well in the consumer segment, where it was second only to HP with a 16.2% share. Asus also saw a 5.5% YoY growth in the commercial segment.
Outlook for PC market
Looking ahead, Navkendar Singh, associate vice president (devices research) at IDC India, South Asia & ANZ, provided a positive outlook for India’s PC market. He noted that the commercial PC market is on the recovery path, as businesses have started refreshing their IT devices. The IT/ITES sector’s buying activity has already begun and is expected to gain momentum in CY2025.