IDC: Laptop, desktop PC sales in India up 31-percent in 2010

After a recession-hit 2009, laptops and desktop PC sales went up this year -- as much as 31-percent compared to last year, according to IDC India's PC market review of 2010. And IDC India predicts a bright future for laptops and desktop PCs in the coming year, expects the Indian PC market to grow by 22-percent in 2011. According to an IDC analyst, tablets at their prevailing price points are unlikely to excite majority of consumers.

IDC India reported India's PC market sales (in unit shipments) for the first three quarters of calendar year 2010. A total of 7.4 million PCs (combined total of desktops and laptops) were sold in India till November 2010. This amounts to a 31-percent growth for the same period in 2009. The high-growth in PC shipments was due to increased consumer spending, according to Sumanta Mukherjee, Lead PC Analyst at IDC India: "The overall sales growth of 31 per cent was largely led by consumer spending. Consumer PC sales continue to rise as a proportion of overall India PC shipments."

Desktop PC sales were at 4.68 million units, while a total of 2.72 million laptops were sold this year. Laptop sales, especially, grew by 60-percent compared to last year.

India PC Market to grow by 22-percent in 2011
IDC India predicts an overall growth of 22-percent for the Indian PC market next year, while laptop sales and desktop PC sales will grow by 42-percent and 9-percent, respectively. IDC India also expects the overall average selling price (ASP) of desktop PCs to drop in 2011 by about 13-percent and laptop PC prices to drop by about 5 percent.

Tablets too expensive?
IDC India thinks tablet PCs in their current form are too expensive to make any sizable dent in the Indian PC market at the moment. Sumanta further added, "Media tablets in their present form and currently prevailing price points are unlikely to excite the large majority of consumers, though different products are expected to be launched at various price brackets in 2011. These would remain devices used largely for content consumption, as the virtual keyboard is likely to present a problem for users who are used to creating content."

However, he believes that the Indian PC market will be redefined by the introduction and widespread adoption of 3G services and bundled offerings on laptops and tablets next year.