India PC Shipments will grow 17 % in 2012 : Gartner

India PC shipments are expected to reach 12.5 million units in 2012, a 17 percent increase from 2011, according to the latest forecast by Gartner, Inc.

The PC industry is benefiting from the Tamilnadu state government deal, wherein the government aims to give away laptops to the students of state-aided colleges and high schools - to fulfill the pre-election pledge made by the chief minister.

This will add approximately 920,000 units to total shipments in 2012 and will be a major contributor for an estimated double-digit growth. Without considering this particular deal PC market is expected to grow 8.4 percent in 2012.

“High inflation, increased cost of living and smartphone penetration are forcing consumers to extend the life of their computing devices,” said Vishal Tripathi, principal research analyst at Gartner.

Media tablets might see higher adoption as compared to 2011, but they are not going to have any major impact on the PCs as they are still the second or third devices for consumers.

Although some enterprise sectors, such as the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sectors, are opting for tablets for front end sales force atomization.