According to the latest research by Omdia, India's PC market (excluding tablets) achieved a record high in Q3 2025, with shipments reaching 4.9 million units, marking a 13% year-on-year increase. The growth was driven by manufacturers accelerating inventory buildup ahead of the festive season and stable commercial client deliveries. Laptop shipments rose to 4 million units, up 12% YoY, while desktop shipments grew 18% YoY to 920,000 units. In contrast, India's tablet market declined 19% YoY to 1.6 million units due to significant delays in government-led education project tenders and deployments, despite relatively stable consumer demand.
Looking ahead to 2026, India's PC market is expected to maintain steady growth, with a projected 2% annual increase, supported by ongoing device refresh cycles and the accelerated adoption of AI PCs in the mainstream market. The tablet segment is anticipated to rebound next year as delayed education procurement projects enter the implementation phase.
In Q3 2025, India's consumer PC market grew 20% YoY, fueled by early festive season stockpiling by manufacturers. Initial sales momentum came from pre-festive promotions on major e-commerce platforms, which saw strong traction, followed by robust offline retail demand supported by coordinated discounts and cashback schemes. This festive push significantly boosted overall consumer demand. Additionally, premium notebook shipments surged 27% YoY, driven by increased availability of higher-spec models and attractive cashback policies.
The commercial PC market expanded 7% YoY, primarily due to steady enterprise refresh cycles and ongoing upgrade project deliveries. Large enterprises adhered to scheduled replacement cycles, ensuring stable demand, while small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) remained cautious amid expectations of rising costs for key components like memory and display panels. However, SMBs are expected to gradually increase IT budgets in the coming quarters, laying the groundwork for broader upgrades.
India's tablet market saw a sharp 19% YoY decline, attributed to deferred large-scale education deployments and subdued spending by private educational institutions. Conversely, the consumer tablet segment grew 14% YoY, supported by strong demand for affordable LTE models and steady adoption in entertainment and learning scenarios.
Ashweej Aithal, Senior Analyst at Omdia, noted, "Q3 2025 showcased robust consumer enthusiasm alongside disciplined commercial execution. Festive promotions and broader premium product availability drove one of the strongest quarters for the consumer market in recent cycles, while enterprises continued device refreshes despite pricing pressures."
Omdia forecasts a 13% growth for India's PC market in 2025, sustained by festive season sales and mid-range product upgrades. Aithal added, "Heading into 2026, component supply and pricing challenges may prompt buyers to advance procurement cycles to preempt cost increases."
The market is expected to maintain steady growth in 2026 as AI-enabled devices proliferate across broader price segments and refresh demand extends to smaller cities. AI-capable notebooks are projected to be among the fastest-growing categories, aided by diversified product offerings, clearer on-device AI functionalities, and next-gen chip architectures. While still niche, optimized software experiences will be key to mainstream adoption.
Tablet shipments are likely to remain subdued for the rest of 2025 due to sluggish education tenders. However, with pending education projects set to roll out in early 2026, government-funded initiatives could spur recovery. Aithal emphasized, "Market recovery hinges on deployment pace and vendors' ability to expand tablet applications beyond education."
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