The latest Canalys, now part of Omdia, research revealed that India’s PC and tablet market maintained strong growth in Q4 2024, up 6.4% year on year with total shipments reaching 4.6 million units. This was driven by an 11% surge in notebook shipments, which hit 2.6 million units, and a 4.3% rise in tablets, which reached 1.1 million units, while desktop shipments declined 3.6% to 852,000 units. For the full year, the market grew 13%, surpassing 20 million units, led by a 41% surge in tablets, 5% growth in notebooks and a 1% rise in desktops. Looking ahead, India’s PC and tablet market is set to grow 8% in 2025, with spillover demand from the refresh cycle driving another 5% growth in 2026.
India’s PC (excluding tablets) market grew across all segments in Q4 2024, with enterprise procurement leading to a 25% year-on-year jump. This surge was primarily driven by global firms upgrading their systems as part of the refresh cycle and increased demand due to Windows 10 end of support (EoS). Government tenders, particularly for notebooks, also saw a notable rise, while the education sector recorded 34% growth, largely driven by public education institutions. The consumer segment remained relatively flat, growing by just 1%, as online channels focused on maintaining healthy inventory levels for year-end sales.
The Indian PC market is projected to grow by 9% in 2025. “Enterprise demand will be the primary growth driver as the refresh cycle gains traction as we near the Windows 10 EoS deadline,” said Mr. Ashweej Aithal, Analyst at Canalys. “This shift is also expected to benefit Apple in the commercial space, owing to Mac security features, AI capabilities and competitive pricing compared with AI-capable Windows devices.” Meanwhile, the SMB segment is set for strong demand, though rising device costs could pose challenges. The consumer market is forecast to grow by 7%, driven by the increasing popularity of gaming PCs. “AI-capable PCs are expected to gain traction across all segments despite being in the early stages of adoption, as the industry focuses on future-proofing devices to meet evolving market needs.”
In the tablet space, the consumer segment grew by 2% in Q4 2024, driven by a strong inventory push for year-end sales. The education sector also performed well, driven by demand from government initiatives and private institutions. But delays in the finalization of government tenders toward the end of the quarter led to a sharp decline in non-education public sector procurement.
The Indian tablet market is projected to grow by 5% in 2025, driven primarily by consumer demand, as many devices bought during the pandemic are due for a refresh or upgrade. “Vendors are focusing on competitive specifications, while the category has evolved beyond education-centric use to cater to media consumption, entertainment and content creation, which have seen exceptional growth,” added Aithal. “Premiumization in the consumer segment will remain a key driver, bringing both volume and value growth for vendors.” On the commercial front, enterprise demand is expected to remain strong, particularly from the airline, financial, manufacturing and pharmaceutical industries, ensuring steady market momentum. However, the education segment, historically the largest contributor, is expected to slow in 2025, as large government tenders from 2024 are yet to be finalized. “While the tenders are expected to match previous volumes, full execution may extend into the following year.”
Regulatory changes set to ease local manufacturing constraints on PC players
The Indian government has introduced a policy to gradually reduce import limits on PCs and tablets by 5% annually, starting in 2025, using import data from the financial year 2024-2025 as the baseline. To ensure a smooth transition, the government extended the unrestricted import period until 31 December 2024, postponing the original 30 September 2024, deadline. “This decision, made after extensive consultation with global PC industry stakeholders, is set to reshape India’s local manufacturing landscape,” said Aithal. “By giving vendors enough time to establish a robust supply chain, this policy not only supports manufacturers in adapting to the new framework but also accelerates the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, driving it to the next level. Also, an online import management system is being developed to streamline processes and minimize manual customs procedures, further enhancing efficiency.”
| India desktop and notebook forecast Canalys PC forecast: 2024 to 2026 | |||||
| Segment | 2024 shipments | 2025 shipments | 2026 shipments | 2025 annual growth | 2026 annual growth |
| Consumer | 6,024 | 6,419 | 7,155 | 6.6% | 11.5% |
| Commercial | 7,200 | 7,920 | 8,470 | 10.0% | 6.9% |
| Government | 262 | 284 | 317 | 8.4% | 11.9% |
| Education | 592 | 689 | 646 | 16.4% | -6.2% |
| Total | 14,078 | 15,312 | 16,588 | 8.8% | 8.3% |
| Note: Unit shipments in thousands. Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding. Source: Canalys forecast, PC Analysis, February 2025 | |||||
| India tablet forecast Canalys PC forecast: 2024 to 2026 | |||||
| Segment | 2024 shipments | 2025 shipments | 2026 shipments | 2025 annual growth | 2026 annual growth |
| Consumer | 2,824 | 3,252 | 3,267 | 15.2% | 0.5% |
| Commercial | 547 | 653 | 701 | 19.4% | 7.4% |
| Government | 163 | 248 | 209 | 51.6% | -7.5% |
| Education | 2,433 | 2,086 | 1,931 | -14.3% | -15.4% |
| Total | 5,967 | 6,239 | 6,108 | 4.6% | -2.1% |
| Note: Unit shipments in thousands. Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding Source: Canalys forecast, PC Analysis, February 2025 | |||||
| India tablet shipments (market share and annual growth) Canalys PC market pulse: Q4 2024 | |||||
| Vendor | Q4 2024 shipments | Q4 2024 market share | Q4 2023 shipments | Q4 2023 market share | Annual growth |
| Samsung | 381 | 34.5% | 275 | 26.0% | 38.4% |
| Apple | 182 | 16.5% | 141 | 13.3% | 29.0% |
| Lenovo | 114 | 10.3% | 157 | 14.8% | -27.6% |
| Xiaomi | 95 | 8.6% | 93 | 8.8% | 2.2% |
| Acer | 80 | 7.3% | 125 | 11.8% | -35.5% |
| Others | 251 | 22.8% | 267 | 25.2% | -5.9% |
| Total | 1,104 | 100.0% | 1,058 | 100.0% | 4.3% |
| Note: Unit shipments in thousands. Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding. Source: Canalys PC Analysis (sell-in shipments), February 2025 | |||||
| India desktop and notebook shipments (market share and annual growth) Canalys PC Market Pulse: Q4 2024 | |||||
| Vendor | Q4 2024 shipments | Q4 2024 market share | Q4 2023 shipments | Q4 2023 market share | Annual growth |
| HP | 1,047 | 30.3% | 1,067 | 33.1% | -1.8% |
| Lenovo | 648 | 18.8% | 571 | 17.7% | 13.5% |
| Acer | 548 | 15.9% | 486 | 15.1% | 12.7% |
| Dell | 458 | 13.3% | 439 | 13.6% | 4.4% |
| Apple | 239 | 6.9% | 147 | 4.6% | 62.3% |
| Others | 514 | 14.9% | 514 | 16.0% | -0.1% |
| Total | 3,454 | 100.0% | 3,224 | 100.0% | 7.1% |
| Note: Unit shipments in thousands. Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding. Source: Canalys PC Analysis (sell-in shipments), February 2025 | |||||
Covered By: NCN MAGAZINE / Canalys
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