Laptop sales can touch one million next year

Go mobile. This is the latest buzzword in the industry, which
everyone is trying to capitalize on. Its success is well reflected in the number
of laptops sold every year in the country. Notebook market is registering a
whopping over 100 percent growth year-on-year. "India is an opportunity of
one million laptops by next year," said Amar Babu, Director (Sales &
Marketing Group) - South Asia, Intel.

Laptop sales is booming and setting new records every time.
The country, which registered only 2,18,071 units (DQ estimates) in the last
year, is racing fast to close the current fiscal with 4,50,000 units.
"Going by the current trends, the numbers look achievable. At KBM, our
sales have increased up to four times compared to the previous year. The
one-million projection is achievable for the overall market," said Suresh,
Director of Karthik Business Machines, a retailer in Bangalore, which promotes
only HP and Sony range of notebooks in the market. "Customers prefer to buy
only branded laptops as service and spares are critical issues." KBM is
expecting to sell more than 1,200 laptops this year.

Agrees Kapil Wadhwa of Delhi-based Champion Computers,
"In today's scenario, nobody wants to buy a laptop, which is not branded.
Everyone wants to have assured after sales support when they buy a product like
laptop. That's why there are not many takers for Chinese or Taiwanese laptops
in India."

The import duty rationalization over the last year gave major
boost to laptop sales. "Today, the notebooks are available at sub-30K and
every vendor is focusing on mobile solutions. In fact, laptops offer better
value-proposition to the customers than desktops. The market is maturing and
wireless applications give the necessary thrust to the business," said
Mohit Hegde, Director of Bangalore-based Creative Infotech. The company is
looking at a 100% growth in laptops, which should cross 1,500 units this year.

"Though, desktops will not be completely moved out, it
will be limited to certain applications such as hi-end games and
graphics-intensive projects," said A Rakesh Jain, CEO, Supreme Computers.
The company has a dedicated showroom for notebooks called Laptops Plus, which
addresses wide range of audience.

According to Amar, in India, the laptop is only 8% of the PC
base, while it is 30% in the global market. The ease of use is also a factor,
which is gaining momentum with notebooks. "If it is a desktop than we need
to send in someone to properly install the system. If it's a laptop most users
do it on their own. There used to be a problem of overheating with laptops. Now
these laptops don't heat up at all," said Ajaya Kumar, CEO of Delhi-based
Park Electronik. According to Asif Khan of Kolkata-based Technocrat, the
wireless and cable free features of the notebook are its greatest advantages
along with its compactness.

Notebooks are preferred by one and all. "Mobility is the
new mantra in the market and all the mid and big size companies are equipping
their sales and marketing professionals with laptops," commented Suresh
Chhatlani of Mumbai-based Suresh Computers.

Today, schools, colleges, home, SOHO, corporate and
government et al are the major

buyers of mobile solution.