According to research from Omdia, the India PC market is set to decline 22% in the second half of 2026, as pull-forward purchases and rising component prices weigh on demand, with buying that was moved ahead into the first half to avoid price increases expected to dampen second-half demand, leading to a 2.6% drop in full-year shipments compared with 2025, while tablet shipments are forecast to grow 4.2% year on year, with slower growth in the commercial and education segments and more resilient demand for premium products.
In the second quarter of 2026 (2Q26), India PC shipments rose 14% year on year to 4.1 million units. Notebook shipments grew 13% to 3 million units, while desktop shipments increased 15% to 954,000 units. Tablet shipments rose 11% to 1.3 million units over the same period. The PC market growth partly reflected pull-forward purchasing by vendors and channel partners, who bought ahead to secure inventory supply given expectations that prices would rise later in the year.
Commenting on the India PC market performance and full-year outlook, Omdia senior analyst Ashweej Aithal said that on the surface the second-quarter momentum looked strong, but a large part of it stemmed from end customers and channel partners pulling purchases forward to lock in PC buying prices before the next round of price increases.
In the second quarter of 2026, commercial PCs led market growth, with shipments up 19% year on year, outpacing the 8% increase in consumer PCs. Small and medium-sized business (SMB) purchasing activity was especially brisk, with many bringing PC refresh plans forward to lock in lower prices ahead of expected further increases in the second half. Enterprise demand remained solid, with companies continuing to replace existing PCs with higher-spec notebooks. Government-funded education procurement also delivered significant shipment growth, with education notebook shipments up 191% year on year. In the consumer market, online and retail promotions continued to support demand despite higher prices. Meanwhile, Apple MacBook shipments nearly doubled as new models, including the Neo, gained traction. AI-capable notebooks rose to 44% of shipments from 28%, indicating a gradual shift toward next-generation configurations.
For the full year, Omdia expects India PC shipments to reach 15.4 million units in 2026, down 2.6% from 2025. Consumer PC shipments are projected to fall 6%, while commercial PC shipments are expected to decline 5%. Education shipments are still forecast to grow 63% to 918,000 units, though growth is expected to slow in the second half of 2026 as the current government-led procurement cycle winds down.
Aithal added that rising component costs hit entry-level PCs hardest, since budget-conscious consumers in India are especially sensitive to price increases. Premium and gaming PCs have more room to absorb higher costs, while enterprise customers are likely to proceed with necessary device refreshes. Smaller businesses, by contrast, may become more cautious, delaying upgrades or opting for lower-spec models.
Vendors are also adjusting product configurations to hold key price points and limit how much of the cost increase is passed on to buyers. The impact will vary across platforms. Helped by its premium positioning, tight hardware and software integration, and large existing user base, Apple MacBook shipments are expected to see a relatively smaller decline. Aithal said the market may fragment further, with high-value PCs better able to absorb cost increases while entry-level products face greater demand pressure.
Turning to India tablet market trends and vendor shares, the India tablet market is gradually shifting toward higher-value products. In the second quarter of 2026, consumer tablet shipments rose 12% year on year, mainly driven by demand for premium and new devices, while commercial tablet shipments grew 11%, with strong purchasing demand from SMBs. Enterprise demand was relatively stable. Over the same period, Apple tablet shipments rose 35%, and Lenovo Group Ltd (00992) shipments nearly doubled, with both vendors gaining share. Aithal said the market is clearly moving toward high-value tablets, supported by demand for new devices and higher-spec products. However, he said second-quarter 2026 growth should be viewed cautiously, because channel partners also stocked up ahead of expected price increases, meaning some purchases were pulled forward.
Education shipments fell 12%, as government tender projects remained suspended and rising component costs continued to pressure entry-level tablets. Omdia expects the India tablet market to reach 5.1 million units in 2026, up 4.2% year on year. That pace is slower than the 11% growth recorded in the second quarter of 2026, with growth expected to moderate over the rest of the year. Aithal said that over the longer term, the outlook for India's tablet market is more positive, as larger screens, higher specifications, and productivity use cases become more common, bringing the tablet user experience closer to that of entry-level PCs.
India is also becoming a more important tablet manufacturing and export base, with Samsung and Lenovo Group Ltd (00992) already using local production to serve overseas markets, while other brands are seeking to expand their manufacturing footprints. As the domestic market becomes more price-sensitive, this could give vendors greater flexibility in managing supply and costs.
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