The Indian PC market – including desktops, notebooks, and tablets, declined 22 percent to 4.128 million in Q4 2022, according to estimates by Canalys.
The decrease was largely due to a sharp decline in notebook shipments, which were down 31 percent to 2.3 million units. Desktop PC shipments fell 5 percent to 695,000 units, while tablet shipments dropped 7 percent to 1.2 million units.
In 2022, Indian PC market rose 5.4 percent to 19.624 million. Notebook shipments fell by 7 percent to 11 million units. Desktop and tablet shipments increased significantly by 37 percent and 21 percent to 3.2 million and 5.4 million units, respectively, in 2022, the report said.
The concerns for the industry are fears of recession and inflation, which rose again after easing toward the end of 2022. According to Canalys analyst Ashweej Aithal, Indian consumers spent on devices in the first half of 2022, but demand quickly decreased, leading to a weak holiday season for vendors and retailers.
The commercial sector of PC market struggled with inventory and supply chain issues, but the fall in demand is helping to lessen procurement delays. Desktops maintained some momentum due to pockets of enterprise spending in the aftermath of last year’s lockdowns, while tablet shipments were buoyed by education deals.
PC and tablet shipments in India will fall by 6 percent in 2023, to 18 million units. This represents a smaller drop than for the global market, which is expected to contract by 9 percent. Education sector will be an important segment for PCs and tablets in India this year and beyond, with investment expected to ramp up at all levels over the next few years to bridge the digital divide and provide wider education access.
Enterprise deals that are currently on hold due to economic conditions are set to re-emerge and boost the market recovery in 2024.
