Indian PC shipments grow 34% to a record 5.3 million in Q3 2021 

Shanghai (China), Bengaluru (India), Singapore, Reading (UK) and Portland (US) – Wednesday, 15 December 2021

PC shipments in India grew by a solid 34% year on year in Q3 2021 to a record 5.3 million units. These comprised 0.6 million desktops, 3.5 million notebooks and 1.2 million tablets, with all categories growing strongly. Notebook shipments were up by a record 31% year on year, tablets by a massive 41% and desktops by 29%. Growth was aided by overall optimism and accelerated economic recovery in India, especially among SMBs and larger enterprises. 

“Despite supply chain challenges, India’s PC market reported its highest shipments ever,” said Canalys Research Analyst Ashweej Aithal. “Vendors have finally prioritized markets outside of North America and Western Europe, focusing more on Asia and Latin America, leading to higher shipments than normal. While the seasonal rise in consumer demand has boosted shipments in consumer channels, a ramp up in enterprise and SMB procurement has ensured strong growth in all segments.” 

India total PC shipments (market share and annual growth) 

Canalys PC market pulse: Q3 2021 

Vendor 

Q3 2021 shipments 

Q3 2021 
market share 

Q3 2020 
shipments 

Q3 2020 
market share 

Annual 
growth 

Lenovo  

1,429 

27.0% 

1,092 

27.6% 

+30.9% 

HP 

1,268 

24.0% 

965 

24.4% 

+31.4% 

Dell 

726 

13.7% 

505 

12.7% 

+43.6% 

Acer 

398 

7.5% 

203 

5.1% 

+95.8% 

Asus 

376 

7.1% 

267 

6.7% 

+40.9% 

Others 

1,094 

20.7% 

930 

23.5% 

 +17.7% 

Total  

5,292 

100.0% 

3,962 

100.0% 

+33.6% 

Note: Unit shipments in thousands. Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding. 

Source: Canalys PC Analysis (sell-in shipments), November 2021 

The pandemic has brought about longer-term changes in the market, especially in education. “Uncertainty about the pandemic is forcing educational establishments to sustain their hybrid learning models and remain agile in the event of a future lockdown,” said Aithal. “Tablet and notebook demand is expected to remain high, as government and education tenders remain solid. At an individual level, however, demand will remain unsatiated. To ensure that every child whose education has been disrupted due to the pandemic gains access to a computer is an ambitious goal but one that must be fulfilled. If not, we risk the future of our workforce.” 

India desktop, notebook and workstation shipments (market share and annual growth) 

Canalys PC Market Pulse: Q3 2021 

Vendor 

Q3 2021 shipments 

Q3 2021 
market share 

Q3 2020 
shipments 

Q3 2020 
market share 

Annual 
growth 

HP 

1,268 

31.2% 

965 

31.3% 

+31.4% 

Lenovo 

830 

20.4% 

744 

24.1% 

+11.5% 

Dell 

726 

17.9% 

505 

16.4% 

+43.6% 

Asus 

376 

9.2% 

264 

8.6% 

+42.1% 

Acer 

371 

9.1% 

185 

6.0% 

+100.0% 

Others 

491 

12.1% 

423 

13.7% 

 +15.9% 

Total  

4,061 

100.0% 

3,088 

100.0% 

+31.5% 

Note: Unit shipments in thousands. Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding. 

Source: Canalys PC Analysis (sell-in shipments), November 2021 

 Vendor performances

  • Lenovo pipped HP to first place in the overall PC market (including tablets) for the first time since Q4 2020. This was solely due to its performance in tablets. Lenovo shipped close to 600,000 tablets in Q3 2021, growing over twice as much as its closest competitor Samsung. While it still has some way to go to overtake HP in notebooks, Lenovo is in a strong position due to its multi-segment portfolio catering to a range of product categories. In the short term, Lenovo’s local production has helped it win back some of the lost orders with governments across the country. In the longer term, Lenovo’s focus on exporting devices from India will only play to its benefit, as production-linked incentives (PLIs) buy it much needed favor and support. 
  • HP finished in second place overall (tablets included) but maintained its lead in India’s desktop and notebook market in Q3 2021. The US-based vendor shipped around 1 million notebooks this quarter, making it the biggest quarter ever for HP notebooks. HP has an inherent advantage in India, where retail channels cater not only to consumers but also support multiple SMBs and large businesses across the country, especially in tier-two and tier-three cities. HP’s dominance in offline retail, including its focus on cost-conscious options for customers will continue to give it an edge over Lenovo and even Dell. 
  • Dell came in third with annual growth of 44%, mainly driven by notebooks, which grew 50% year on year. Dell’s stronghold in the commercial segment continued with its 32% growth in this segment. This quarter, however, the vendor also saw strong growth in the consumer segment, where its shipments grew 67% annually. 
  • Acer jumped to fourth place as its shipments grew by 96% year on year, mainly due to the spike in consumer demand for notebooks. Acer’s notebook shipments have almost doubled year on year to 229,000. The success was not limited to notebooks, as Acer also grew its desktop business by close to 100%. The vendor has ramped up local manufacturing of its desktops to ensure it meets government order criteria, whereby to participate in a tender, a vendor must ensure that over 50% of its devices for that particular deal are manufactured in India.  
  • Asus finished fifth, growing its shipments by 41% year on year. The vendor shipped 363,000 notebooks, recording its best quarter for the category. Asus continues to double down on efforts to expand its offline presence, especially in smaller towns and cities, which has enabled it to beat Acer in the desktop, notebook and workstation market.  

India tablet shipments (market share and annual growth) 

Canalys PC market pulse: Q3 2021 

Vendor 

Q3 2021 shipments 

Q3 2021 
market share 

Q3 2020 
shipments 

Q3 2020 
market share 

Annual 
growth 

Lenovo  

599 

48.7% 

347 

39.7% 

+72.6% 

Samsung 

292 

23.7% 

193 

22.1% 

+51.2% 

Apple 

153 

12.4% 

81 

9.3% 

+88.6% 

Acer 

27 

2.2% 

18 

2.0% 

+51.9% 

Huawei 

10 

0.8% 

36 

4.1% 

-72.7% 

Others 

150 

12.2% 

199 

22.8% 

 -25.0% 

Total  

1,231 

100.0% 

874 

100.0% 

+40.8% 

Note: Unit shipments in thousands. Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding. 

Source: Canalys PC Analysis (sell-in shipments), November 2021 

 

For more information, please contact: 

Ashweej Aithal (India): ashweej_aithal@canalys.com +91 97386 19281 

About Canalys

Canalys is an independent analyst company that strives to guide clients on the future of the technology industry and to think beyond the business models of the past. We deliver smart market insights to IT, channel and service provider professionals around the world. We stake our reputation on the quality of our data, our innovative use of technology and our high level of customer service.

Receiving updates

To receive media alerts directly, or for more information about our events, services or custom research and consulting capabilities, please contact us. Alternatively, you can email press@canalys.com.

 

Please click here to unsubscribe

 

Copyright © Canalys. All rights reserved.

 

 

For more information:
e-mail press@canalys.com

 

PDF download

 Indian PC shipments grow 34% to a record 5.3 million in Q3 2021 

 

Share this article