Tablets set to explode in India

Tablet sales are expected to touch 1.7 million units in the current financial year, up from 1 million units sold in the last fiscal year. Tablet sales are expected to grow annually at around 40% over the next five years. HT reports.

The market for tablet PCs in India is set to grow at a rapid pace of 40% every year over the next five years, said a study released by the industry body MAIT (Manufacturers' Association for Information Technology) on Friday.

The study 'Landscape of Tablet PC market in India' added that adoption of tablet as a preferred computing device in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, insurance, education, healthcare and aviation is leading the sales growth.

'The demand for tablets will be phenomenal over the next five years. We expect the tablet market to touch 7.3 million units by 2015-16,' said Alok Bhardwaj, president, MAIT.

The report further pointed out that the mid-segment tablets with a price bracket between ₹10,000 and ₹20,000 would be the most sought after. Both, the premium segment with price ranging above ₹20,000 and the ultra cost tablets with price less than ₹10,000 are expected to grow at a pace lower than 40%.

Bhardwaj said that India is a 'value sensitive market' and not a price sensitive market, and field intensive industries such as insurance, education, market research and pharmaceuticals would be the first ones to adopt tablets.

The report, however, dismissed any suggestions that there would be a massive cannibalisation from the laptop or desktop PC market. 'The sales growth of desktops and PCs will only be marginally affected due to tablet proliferation,' he said.