Apple’s dream run in India extends beyond iPhones. In the January–March 2025 quarter, it emerged as the fastest-growing brand in both the PC and tablet markets, driven by surging demand for iPads and MacBooks across enterprise and consumer segments.
Apple surged ahead in India’s personal computing landscape during the January–March quarter of 2025, becoming the fastest-growing brand in both the PC and tablet markets on the back of robust demand for its iPads and MacBooks across enterprise and consumer segments.
According to Canalys data, Apple’s tablet market share jumped to 16%, registering a 27% year-on-year growth, making it the second-largest tablet brand in India. In the PC segment, Apple posted a staggering 73% growth in shipments, pushing its market share to 7.1% and breaking into the top five PC brands for the first time.
Meanwhile, Samsung, despite a 33.4% decline in tablet shipments, retained the top spot with a 29.9% market share. Chinese players Lenovo and Xiaomi grew their tablet shipments by 16.1% and 12.6% respectively, while Acer saw a sharp 67.2% decline.
“The Indian tablet market saw mixed results. The consumer segment grew by 21% yearly, helped by strong back-to-school campaigns on online platforms and a renewed vendor focus on offline presence. On the other hand, the commercial tablet market declined by 54%, mainly due to delays in government and education tenders, which have slowed down institutional demand this quarter,” said Ashweej Aithal, Senior Analyst at Canalys.
Looking ahead, overall tablet shipments are expected to decline 8% in 2025, weighed down by procurement delays in education and marginal drops in enterprise demand. However, Aithal noted that the education sector could emerge as a major growth driver later in the year.
India’s PC (excluding tablet) market grew 13% year-on-year in Q1 2025, reaching 3.3 million units, led by a 21% surge in notebook shipments (2.4 million units). Desktop shipments fell by 3% to 906,000 units.
HP led the PC market with a 28.9% share, followed by Lenovo (18.8%), Acer (15.8%), and Dell (13.3%), which saw a decline. Apart from Apple, only Lenovo and Acer posted double-digit shipment growth during the quarter.
Notebooks continue to dominate India’s digital transformation push, driven by rising hybrid work, content creation, and learning needs. Canalys forecasts India’s overall PC market to grow 6% in 2025, crossing 15 million units, with momentum expected to build into 2026 due to device refresh cycles and AI integration.
“Overall, 2025 will be a bridge year, setting the foundation for a more decisive shift toward AI adoption, localization and value-driven demand in 2026,” Aithal said.
AI-capable notebooks saw explosive 253% growth year-on-year in Q1 2025 (off a low base), while premium models priced above $1,000 grew by 49%, reflecting increased demand for high-performance computing.
“Enterprises increasingly view AI as a core feature, while consumers are turning to premium PCs for their multi-use value,” Aithal noted. Commercial PC shipments grew 11%, driven by enterprise demand, though government demand remained soft. Consumer PC shipments rose 16%, boosted by Republic Day sales and March-end channel pushes.
Canalys also highlighted the rising role of Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities in India’s PC growth story. “These users are value-conscious, displaying more deliberate and research-driven purchasing behavior that prioritizes performance, durability and after-sales service in addition to device cost,” said Aithal, adding that growing access to broadband, digital education, and e-services in these regions is transforming them from peripheral to core markets.
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