Fifty Indians now share a single personal computer, according to a just-released report by IDC. The research firm's India Quarterly PC Tracker for the first quarter of 2007-08 pegs the domestic client PC (desktops and notebooks combined) base at 22 millions -- a figure that has more than doubled from 9.5 millions in 2003.
Of the total client PC base for 2006-07, notebooks (or laptops) registered a scorching 85.6 per cent growth since their average selling value dropped by 12.2 per cent for the year.
Desktops, on the other hand, grew by 11 per cent year-on-year and, surprisingly, registered a 3.6 per cent increase in their average selling value.
The performance was contributed to a large measure by buoyant commercial notebook shipments that grew on account of robust demand from the large enterprise, small- and medium-enterprises and education segments.
Piyush Pushkal, manager, PC research, IDC India, said, "Affordability has pulled both the supply and the demand sides together for the past few quarters in the notebook PC market. This firm factor is expected to grow promisingly, with educational institutions as well as businesses being the major contributors."
Meanwhile, during the first quarter of 2007-08, the overall client PC market grew 15.9 per cent over the corresponding period last year in terms of unit shipments.
For the same period (Q1 2007 over Q1 2006), desktop PC shipments showed a growth of 6.3 per cent, while notebook PC shipments showed a growth of 73.1 per cent (Q1 2007 over Q1 2006).
"The country has one PC for every 50 Indians today. This represents a watershed era in the history of the Indian PC market. However, we still have miles to go as a country to evolve an ecosystem that would help to take this trend to the next level so that the benefits of computerisation reach the masses," said Kapil Dev Singh, country manager, IDC India.
