India’s personal computer (PC) market reported a sharp surge in the first quarter of 2026. According to Omdia, India’s PC market (excluding tablets) grew 31.9 per cent year-on-year in Q1 CY 2026, reaching 4.4 million units in terms of shipments. The report stated that growth was largely driven by strong notebook demand, even as other segments showed signs of weakness.
International Data Corporation (IDC) estimates are closely aligned, pegging the market growth at 31.1 per cent YoY with shipments also at 4.4 million units, marking the third consecutive quarter in which the market crossed the four-million-unit threshold.
Notebook-led growth dominates the quarter
The notebook segment was the primary driver of market expansion, continuing to outpace other categories, noted Omdia. According to the report, notebook shipments reached 3.5 million units in CY Q1 2026, growing 44.8 per cent YoY. IDC data reinforces this trend. According to its report, notebooks accounted for the majority of shipments, reaching 3.3 million units and growing 55.4 per cent YoY.
In contrast, desktop shipments declined. Omdia reported a 2.7 per cent drop in desktop volumes to 882,000 units. Elevated component costs and a broader shift toward mobile form factors were cited as probable causes for the decline.
IDC highlighted an even sharper 13.5 per cent decline in desktop shipments.
Education and enterprise demand shape the market
A significant portion of the growth in Q1 CY 2026 can be traced back to institutional demand, particularly from the public sector.
IDC identified the Tamil Nadu government’s ELCOT education procurement programme as the single largest growth catalyst during the quarter, driving the education segment to an 455.2 per cent YoY increase.
At the same time, enterprise demand remained strong. IDC reported that the enterprise segment grew 24.2 per cent YoY, supported by continued investment in systems such as workstations, which themselves grew 31.8 per cent YoY.
Omdia also pointed to commercial momentum, noting that the commercial PC market grew 25 per cent YoY, aided by government-led projects and organisations bringing forward planned device refresh cycles.
Premiumisation and AI PCs gain traction
Another key theme emerging from the data is the shift toward higher-value devices. IDC reported that the premium notebook segment (priced above $1,000) grew 70.1 per cent YoY. Omdia similarly pointed to the growing importance of higher-value models, noting that vendors are increasingly prioritising these devices as cost pressures make entry-level products less profitable.
The adoption of AI-capable PCs is also beginning to influence the market. IDC noted that AI notebooks grew 96.1 per cent YoY, suggesting a rise in demand for devices capable of supporting new AI-driven workloads.
At the same time, new product strategies are expanding the market at the lower end of the premium spectrum.
Apple MacBook Neo effect
According to IDC data cited by TechCrunch, Apple shipped 1.1 million units of its new MacBook Neo globally in the March quarter. India accounted for around 18,000 shipments despite the device being available for only a few weeks during the period.
The figure is notable because the Neo was available for only about three weeks during the quarter after going on sale in mid-March, said Navkendar Singh, associate vice president at IDC, in a statement to TechCrunch. He added that shipments began to spike from early April.
As per the report, Singh said that demand for the Neo has exceeded expectations in several countries, including India, where retailers have struggled to secure enough inventory.
“Rising prices of Windows notebooks and attractive pricing of the Neo have led to its very high demand,” Singh told TechCrunch.
The Neo’s popularity could also reshape Apple’s strategy in markets such as India, where older MacBook models such as the M1, M2, and M3 Air have historically been important volume drivers when sold at discounted prices during sales events, according to IDC senior market analyst Bharath Shenoy.
The MacBook Neo starts at Rs 69,900 in India, compared with Rs 119,900 for the entry-level MacBook Air.
How other OEMs performed
According to IDC, HP retained its leadership position in the Indian market with a 26.6 per cent market share, supported by strong performance in both enterprise demand and ELCOT-related shipments.
Acer moved into second place with a 21.3 per cent share, overtaking both Lenovo and Dell.
Lenovo followed with an 18.3 per cent share, while Dell and Asus rounded up the top five list with 15.9 per cent and 6.9 per cent market share respectively.
As for the global PC market, Counterpoint research data shows that Lenovo maintained its market leadership, with shipments rising 9 per cent YoY in Q1 CY 2026 to 16.5 million units, achieving a 26 per cent market share.
Lenovo was followed by HP that saw a 5 per cent YoY decline in shipments. Third in terms of market share, Dell also saw an 8 per cent YoY increase.
As per Counterpoint, Apple ranked fourth in terms of global PC market share and saw 11 per cent YoY shipment jump in Q1 CY 2026. The report stated that Apple delivered 6.7 million units during the quarter with a sharp jump due to initial shipments of new MacBooks such as the MacBook Neo and the M5 MacBook Air.
Pre-emptive buying and pricing pressures drive short-term surge
As per Omdia, one of the most important drivers of Q1 growth in India was the response to rising component costs. The report stated that vendors and channel partners front-loaded inventory in anticipation of price increases, leading to a surge in shipments. This triggered a jump in the consumer segment, as buyers rushed to purchase devices at existing price points before further increases took effect.
This trend is not unique to India. Counterpoint Research observed a similar pattern globally, where PC shipments grew 3.2 per cent YoY in Q1 CY 2026, driven by pre-emptive buying.
