India PC shipments rise 10.2% as first-time users upgrade

According to data from analyst firm IDC (International Data Corporation), shipments of desktops, notebooks, and workstations in India rose 10.2% year-over-year to 15.9 million units in 2025. This surpassed the previous peaks for PC shipments seen in 2021 and 2022. India’s share of global PC shipments rose to 5.6% in 2025, up from 3.3% in 2020. This growth occurred alongside an 8.1% increase in worldwide PC shipments, which reached 284.7 million units in 2025.

The expansion was largely driven by users upgrading devices they bought during the pandemic. “Pandemic-driven lockdowns exposed many people in India to PCs for the first time, expanding the country’s PC userbase and creating demand for upgrades as those devices age,” said Bharath Shenoy, research manager at IDC. Other factors supporting demand include growing digitization, rising PC adoption among startups and small businesses, and wider availability of devices in smaller cities.

Commercial buyers accounted for 52.9% of PC shipments in India in 2025, while the consumer segment made up the remaining 47.1%. Enterprise purchases were partly driven by a Windows refresh cycle, while small and medium-sized businesses and some public sector organizations are beginning to replace older devices. HP, Lenovo, Dell, Acer, and Asus were among the top PC vendors in the country. However, Apple’s Mac computers hold a smaller share of the notebook market in India compared to other regions:

• India: MacBooks accounted for 5.6% of the notebook market in 2025 (down from a peak of 7.4% in 2022 and up from 3.9% in 2020).
• Global: MacBooks held an 11% to 12% share of the notebook market.
• U.S.: MacBooks accounted for 20% of the notebook market.

About 85% to 87% of Mac shipments in India come from the consumer segment. However, demand for Macs in India could see an uptick after Apple this week introduced the MacBook Neo, its lower-priced laptop. This comes as the premium notebook segment—devices priced above $1,000—grew 8.2% year-over-year in 2025.

Despite the record performance, the market could face near-term headwinds. Shenoy noted that PC shipments in India could decline about 5% in 2026, and the market could remain under pressure into 2027. However, India’s PC penetration is estimated at around 17% to 20%, leaving significant room for growth.

Why it matters

India’s PC market had its strongest year on record in 2025, surpassing the surge in demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. This milestone was driven by millions of first-time buyers who purchased laptops during lockdowns and have now begun upgrading their devices.