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'How is the Indian Notebook Market poised to Grow in the Coming Years?'

Gunjan Sachdev
General Manager & National Business Head, Toughbook Division-Panasonic India Pvt Ltd
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Gunjan Sachdev
Gurgaon based Panasonic India Pvt Ltd, is a wholly owned subsidy of Panasonic Corporation (NYSE:PC). With a market cap of $16.81 billion, Panasonic provides home appliances to over 46 countries worldwide and is the world's fifth-largest television manufacturer.

When the first notebook was introduced to the Indian market in the mid-1990s, the response was lukewarm. Seen as a bulky, cumbersome and expensive device, users were sceptical about the benefits it promised. Internet connectivity back then was limited to slow dial-ups, which rendered obsolete one of the key benefits of the notebook – connectivity on the go.

In less than two decades, the scenario has changed drastically, with notebooks being one of the highest-selling technology products among the Indian populace. According to research firm Gartner, the Indian mobile PC(Personal Computer) market grew by 23 percent in the second quarter of 2012 over the same period in 2011.

Changing Perceptions of the Notebook

The rising popularity of notebooks in India has much to do with its evolution in design and features, affordability, and the continuously changing IT infrastructure in the country. Notebooks are now lightweight and sleek, making them easily portable, with better processing units and built-in features that are not available in many desktops. The average price of notebooks, compared to desktops, has lowered significantly: in 2007, a notebook cost roughly Rs 55,000 while a desktop cost Rs 22,000. One year later, the price of notebooks went down by nearly 10,000 rupees to Rs 40,000 while desktop prices only went down marginally.


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