India's PC sales cross 8 mn units in 2009-10

NEW DELHI, INDIA: MAIT, the apex body representing India's IT hardware, training and R&D services sectors, today said the total PC sales in India between April 2009 and March 2010, with desktop computers, notebooks and netbooks taken together, were 8.03 million units, registering a growth of 18 per cent over the last fiscal.

As per the findings of MAIT's Industry Performance Review for the financial year 2009-10, the sales of desktops stood at 5.52 million units registering a growth of five per cent. Notebooks and Netbooks taken together recorded a consumption of 2.5 million units, growing 65 per cent over the last year.

Given the current macro-economic conditions and conservative buying sentiment in the market, PC sales are expected to cross 9.35 million units in FY 2010-11, growing about sixteen per cent, said MAIT.

"The impact of the global economic recession is now well behind us and the IT hardware industry in India is once again on a revival path,” said Ravi Aggarwal, President, MAIT.

“The year 2009-10 has indeed witnessed an excellent comeback by the Indian IT hardware market. Easing of the economic slowdown and improved sentiments among both the consumer and business segment are the reasons behind the impressive growth of the PC market, especially during the second half of the year 2009-10,” he added.

Almost all segments of the IT hardware registered a healthy growth, according to MAIT study.

The bi-annual MAIT Industry Performance Review - ITOPs, conducted by India's leading market research firm IMRB International is a survey of the IT hardware sector's efforts to manage the business environment, gauge the market potential and consumer trends.

This round of the study involved face-to-face interviews with over 15,000 respondents selected randomly across 17 cities in India. The MAIT-IMRB study was initiated in 1996-97 and encompasses five broad product segments - computers, networking products, printers, other peripherals and Internet connections. Apart from the half-yearly review, a supply-side estimation module is used to monitor industry performance every quarter, alternating with the half-yearly review.