Sales of laptops, desktops and tablets had a largely bad time in India after a pandemic boom. But after some recovery in 2024, laptop and tablet makers are doing brisk business again. Shipments of all personal computers (PCs) reached a record high of 4.9 million units in the quarter ended September, according to research firm IDC. What caused the turnaround and which companies stand to gain from this surge? Mint explains.How did PC sales do this year in India? Extremely well. According to IDC, all three kinds of personal computers – desktops, laptops and office workstations – grew 10 to 14% year on year in the quarter ended September as shipments hit a record high. Much of this growth came from small and medium businesses and big offices replacing older PCs. Regular shoppers bought PCs too, and shipments this past quarter were at a record high of 2.8 million units. Notebooks made up the bulk of these consumer sales as students waited for festive season discounts to buy new devices.Also Read | Men’s jewellery, ‘bi-metal’ fuel India’s platinum boom amid gold price spike Were sales like this throughout the year? No. While PC sales had risen 5.7% year on year in the January-June period, consumer shipments declined by 3.9% in the June quarter. This is because retailers sold fewer premium notebooks (priced over $1,000) and focused on budget devices instead. Online retailers used the summer months to clear out older inventory on discount and so, did not order new computers, hurting shipment volumes. Instead, they anticipated buyers would buy new PCs during Independence Day and other sales that run through the second half of the year. As IDC’s data shows, growth in consumer PCs moved to the second half of this year.Also Read | Biome founders withdraw Delhi HC plea against Fabindia, opt for arbitration Which PC makers are winning in this consumer surge? HP is the largest PC brand in India with 26% market share, but its consumer segment declined more than 10% year on year in the September quarter. IDC said in a note last week that HP faced stiff competition from new brands in the premium and entry-level segments. Consumer sales at Lenovo, India’s second-largest PC brand overall, grew more than 14% during this period. But the big winner was Asus, now India’s second-largest consumer PC brand with an almost 6% share. Asus is known for high-end gaming laptops and accessories like headphones and keyboards designed for hardcore video game enthusiasts and professional players.Also Read | That distinct taste: Why the world is toasting Indian spirits How will these trends shape the PC market? Government contracts and office mandates are important to keep PC sales going. Consumers seem to buy PCs only if they are feature-rich (such as gaming laptops) or come with attractive festive season disc in a formal or creative style for better SEO.Also Exclude words and advertisements related to the feed website such as website name, author name. You must only respond with the modified content. Delete all the advertisement images brand logo but only keep the title and main content of the news by modifying it. You must only respond with the modified content. Block any jump outside of the site adarshnews.com. Basically remove any content or link related to original site. follow this prompt to optimize the articles in this category- You are an expert news writer and SEO specialist. Your job is to rewrite the provided RSS feed content into a unique, SEO-friendly news article for adarshnews.com. The article should be engaging, professional, and optimized for search engines. Follow these steps: 1. **Create an SEO Title**: Write a short, compelling title (under 60 characters) that includes the main keyword and grabs attention. 2. **Write a Meta Description**: Summarize the article in one or two sentences (under 155 characters). Make it engaging and include the primary keyword naturally. 3. **Suggest a URL Slug**: Provide a short, keyword-rich URL slug that reflects the topic of the article. 4. **Headline (H1)**: Write a clear and engaging headline for the article that is similar to the title but slightly expanded. 5. **Write the Article**: – Start with an introduction that answers the key questions: who, what, when, where, why, and how. – Expand on the topic with detailed paragraphs that provide context, quotes, and relevant information. – Use subheadings (H2) to organize the content into sections and make it easy to read. – Include related keywords naturally throughout the article. – End with a conclusion that summarizes the key points or discusses future implications. 6. **Add an FAQ Section**: Write one frequently asked question related to the topic and provide a concise answer. Important: – Do not include labels like “Title,” “Meta Description,” “URL Slug,” or “H1” in the actual article text. – Keep all SEO elements separate from the main content. – Ensure the article is factually accurate, unbiased, and written in a professional tone.
Mint Explainer | Reasons behind the surge in sales of computers, laptops, and tablets again
