India’s PC shipments (desktops, notebooks and tablets) rocketed by 48% in Q1 2022 to a record-breaking 5.8 million units, beating the previous record of 5.3 million in Q3 2021. In the last six quarters, shipments have grown by 44% on average, despite sustained pressure on the global supply chain. They have now surpassed the 5 million-mark for a third quarter in a row. India now accounts for 5% of global PC shipments, compared with just 3% two years ago. Notebooks were the largest category, with 3.4 million units shipped, up 36% year on year. Desktop shipments surpassed 880,000 units, a phenomenal 64% increase over Q1 2021. But tablets were the strongest category, with shipments reaching 1.6 million, up 69% on a year ago, largely due to government orders picking up again after a two-year hiatus.

“There are two main reasons for India’s phenomenal performance this quarter,” said Jash Shah, Research Analyst at Canalys. “Firstly, India’s success at managing COVID-19, despite its huge population, has to be recognized. While most of the world was in lockdown, India remaining open for business as usual to a large degree. This helped the economy resurge, creating additional demand for PCs and other IT infrastructure. Secondly, India is slowly but surely inching toward self-reliance in PC production. 18% of all PCs sold in India are now manufactured locally, implying that India’s vulnerability to black swan events in China is diminishing, and that its own appetite for PC consumption is increasing. While global macroeconomic events are raising multiple concerns over the sustainability of this growth, India will stay strong for the coming few quarters, despite the softness expected in other global markets.”

“Inflation woes continue to plague the market in 2022, as unprecedented global food prices have sent local prices soaring, with average inflation over 6% for the past three months,” added Shah. “With the Reserve Bank of India pushing up base lending rates, which are expected to continue to increase through the year to battle wholesale inflation, businesses in debt will feel the crunch, as they have less capital to work with. While consumers will stop making discretionary purchases, companies, both small and large, have shown an inclination to freeze budgets, stop hiring and cut spending, which will have a ripple effect on IT procurement, and thereby PC demand. Canalys advises PC vendors to exercise caution while planning for the quarters ahead. At the same time, large government tenders for education are expected to keep the market buoyant.”

Vendor performances

HP took pole position with ease in Q1 2022, commanding a 25% share of the total market and growing its PC shipments by an impressive 42% to 1.5 million units. HP continues its dream run in notebook and desktop shipments, accounting for 34% of the total market, up by 42% and outpacing the next highest vendor almost twice over in total shipment terms. HP has historically dominated the commercial PC market (desktops, notebooks, workstations and tablets), averaging a stellar 32% market share over the last four quarters. But a strong comeback of 29% year-on-year growth and a 23% market share in the more competitive consumer segment underlines HP’s strategic pricing and channel strategies for the Indian PC market. Furthermore, its local manufacturing initiatives, combined with a diverse range of customized PC offerings across segment groups, drove HP’s total shipments to an all-time high.

Lenovo came second overall (including tablets) in Q1 2022, accounting for 19% of the total PC market with 1.1 million shipments. Lenovo’s shipments grew 29% year on year to surpass the 1 million-mark for a third quarter in a row. This growth was bolstered by the vendor’s consistent performance in notebook and tablet shipments, which increased by 26% and 53% year on year respectively. Lenovo’s ability to channel this mounting demand for notebooks across segments resonates with its global supply chain digitalization initiatives and significant R&D investments. While Lenovo sees greater untapped potential in the Indian PC market across segments (particularly private and public education), a third manufacturing line recently added to its Puducherry plant aims to double the current capacity.

Acer surpassed the 600,000-mark for the first time in the Indian PC market (including tablets), taking 11% of the total market and pushing Dell into fourth place. Acer shipped 626,000 units in Q1 2022, up by a lofty 256% year on year and 1.7 times more than in Q4 2021. This uptick was intensified by Acer’s overall performance in the Indian market. But tablet shipments grew by a staggering 1,288% to 205,000 units in Q1 2022, the strongest growth category for an individual vendor in Q1 2022. Acer’s ability to compete in government tenders while offering a diverse range of locally manufactured and efficient PCs enabled it to reap massive benefits.

Dell finished fourth with just over 580,000 shipments in Q1 2022, accounting for 10% of the total PC market (including tablets) and up by 9% year on year. Desktop shipments increased by an exceptional 65% in Q1 2022, taking shipments to 111,000 units. Furthermore, Dell experienced consistent single-digit growth across all segment groups.

Samsung moved up the ranks in Q1 2022 to take fifth place in overall PC shipments (including tablets). In India, Samsung is predominantly a tablet vendor, with shipments reaching a new high of 433,000 units in a single quarter, up 31% year on year. The gradual reemergence of government tenders boosted Samsung’s shipments in the Indian market, allowing it to reclaim the top spot in the tablet market, where it held a 28% share.