Personal computers (PC) are now making a quick re-entry into Indian homes after allowing laptops, notebooks, handhelds, tablets and smartphones to dominate the computing scene for well over a decade, said PC makers Dell and HP.
In the last 18 months, there has been a sharp uptick in PC adoption and the trend of families buying multiple PCs has only been gaining momentum quarter on quarter, they said.
The pandemic has spurred the PC industry out of hibernation and the device has emerged as the `most dependable’ and versatile machine suitable for a `stay-at-home economy’ to carry out a spectrum of daily activities across learning, earning, entertaining and playing, according to industry players.
“As a result, we are seeing a huge uptick in PC adoption since the pandemic began,” said Nitish Singal, head, Personal Systems (Consumer), HP India. “From one PC per family, the trend is moving to one PC per person. We expect to see growth in all segments of PCs... from education-focused devices such as Chromebooks to gaming and high-end premium PCs,” he pointed out.
Dell Technologies said PC markets had been witnessing a ‘remarkable’ transition from 2020 onwards.
“The initial wave saw the trend of consumers quickly procuring PCs to solve demands rising out of necessity,” said Raj Kumar Rishi, vice president and managing director, Consumers and Small Businesses, Dell Technologies, India. “Gradually, we saw a new-found dependency on PCs when many families started purchasing individual devices for each family member. The momentum is only continuing in 2021 in India and also globally,” he added.
The PC market in India saw shipments growing 73.1% year-on-year to 3.1 million units in January-March, 2021, recording the highest ever first-quarter shipments to the country, according to IDC.
Changing customer behaviour
“Consumers want smarter devices that cater to their diverse lifestyle and help them stay connected for longer hours with better battery life and enhanced performance.” said HP’s Mr. Singal.
Mr. Rishi added that Dell saw a “clear shift in consumer behaviour. They look for an intelligent and reliable device that can help them adapt to the new working, learning and living scenario.”
Drivers of growth
A key driver for increased demand in PCs is being attributed to the quick adoption of a virtual lifestyle by large enterprises, SMBs and start-ups. Also, millions of students bought PCs for online learning. A large number of millennials and youth who used laptops and mobile phones frequently for computing hitherto, also came to prefer PCs as time spent on screens increased dramatically.
Also, first-time PC buyers and individual family members contributed greatly to the trend. Amid the pandemic, the country has witnessed a boom in gaming and this also led to a spike in PC sales in the country, as per PC makers.
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