India’s PC market showed resilience in 2024, growing by 3.8% year-over-year (YoY) with 14.4 million units shipped, according to the IDC Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker. This growth was primarily fueled by increased demand for notebooks and workstations, which saw YoY growth rates of 4.5% and 10.9%, respectively, while desktops recorded a modest 1.8% increase.
Strong Performance in Q4 and the Rise of Premium Notebooks
The fourth quarter of 2024 (4Q24) saw a 6.9% YoY increase, with notebook shipments rising by 9.6%. A significant highlight was the demand for premium notebooks (priced above $1,000), which surged by 13.8% YoY. The shift toward high-performance computing, gaming laptops, and AI-powered machines contributed to this trend.
Consumer and Commercial Segments: A Mixed Picture
The consumer PC market expanded by 2.6% YoY in 2024 and 2.2% YoY in Q4, with strong contributions from online sales. The eTailer channel played a crucial role, growing by 21.7% YoY overall and 29% YoY in Q4, benefiting from holiday season sales and Republic Day promotions.
The commercial PC segment grew by 5.1% YoY in 2024 and had a robust 11.1% growth in Q4, with government tenders and enterprise refresh cycles playing key roles. Demand from the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) and enterprise IT upgrades drove a 10.6% YoY growth in both categories.
“Gaming and AI-powered PCs are becoming key drivers of consumer demand,” noted Bharath Shenoy, research manager at IDC India & South Asia. “Since mid-2024, the uptake of AI-powered notebooks featuring Intel Core Ultra and AMD Ryzen AI processors has been on the rise, reflecting a shift toward next-gen computing.”
Market Leaders: HP Maintains Top Spot, Acer Sees Fastest Growth
- HP Inc. led the market with a 30.1% share, dominating both consumer and commercial segments. Despite 14.7% and 14.3% growth in its government and enterprise business, its consumer segment saw a 7.5% decline due to increasing competition.
- Lenovo secured 17.2% of the market, showing 7% growth in consumer PCs and 7.4% in commercial PCs, driven by enterprise sales and online retail expansion.
- Dell Technologies held 16.1% market share, retaining second place in the commercial sector with a 21% share, but slipping to fifth in the consumer market.
- Acer Group emerged as the fastest-growing brand among the top five, with a 15.1% market share. Its consumer business grew 48.4% YoY, supported by aggressive pricing and e-commerce deals. The commercial segment saw 16.6% growth, thanks to SMB and government demand.
- Asus rounded out the top five with a 7% share, despite a 7.8% decline YoY. However, its commercial business surged by 18.4%, reflecting a strategic shift.
In Q4 2024, HP remained the market leader with a 30% share, shipping 1.05 million units. Lenovo and Dell followed, with 18.5% and 18.1% market shares, respectively. Acer continued its strong performance, growing 20% YoY in Q4, while Asus saw the most significant Q4 growth at 38.4% YoY.
