“My office releases laptops that are enough for any physical demonstration I have to hold. But for any other visual job, I can do it comfortably on my iPad, which makes traveling with it convenient.” Sengupta says he uses his iPad for work and entertainment for three of his five working days.
Sengupta is no exception. Last year, according to data shared with the data Mint by Market Researchers International Data Corporation (IDC) India. The growth in tablet sales is driven by the growing demand for large-screen devices, which are more suitable for work and play than smartphones.
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As a result, analysts expect tablets to sell laptops for the first time in India, as more and more buyers find value in the tablet’s sleek profile. This growth does not require consideration of the massive orders of entry-level tablets placed annually by government agencies, primarily for educational programs in rural areas.
Tablet computer accessories
“So far, the second gadget that is constantly being a laptop after owning a smartphone. As tablets start to roll out more features and accessories, buyers are prioritizing the simplicity, portability and comparability of tablets – which is more than ever to boost tablet sales.
Easy supply of third-party accessories such as removable keyboards and stylus pointers makes the tablet even more attractive. Tablet procurement transactions by government agencies and enterprises are further underpinning this.
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“2024 is a bumper year for tablets, with the Gujarat government’s large-scale procurement of nearly 1 million tablets. This is a key sales driver for tablets. However, the growth of the consumer market is also over 30%, which will help tablets grow further next year.”
IDC India specifically shared data Mint In 2021, laptop sales to consumers reached 6.2 million units, a year of work authorization has become common due to its pandemic, said the company. Since then, sales have dropped slightly – in 2024, 5.8 million laptops were sold, up to 1.7%.
Tablet fever rises
Meanwhile, tablets have been rising steadily, reaching their all-time high last year, with only 2.6 million units sold to consumers. Government agencies purchased another 3.1 million units through batch orders.
Tablet sales grew 19% in the six years before the pandemic, while tablet sales grew laptop The annual rate is about 9%. After 41% of laptop sales in 2021 alone, this has caused a supply crunch in the market, as chip factories and rally plants around the world have been closed due to the pandemic.
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2024 is also the first year when tablet sales targeted only $1 billion for consumers, a year-on-year increase of 25%. By comparison, consumer sales of laptops rose 4% to $4.4 billion.
Singh of IDC says ₹26,000 in 2023, the average price per tablet increased by 15% in just one year ₹Last year 30,000. By contrast, the average price of laptops sold in India remains widely similar, marking the edge of 3% growth to ₹65,000 per device.
“It’s hard to object to tablets today, and for laptops, buyers look at them largely from a performance-first perspective. While laptops are still a larger market because it’s a legacy industry driven by huge work, tablets can pose a threat in the long run. As a result, people like Samsung and Xiaomi are the biggest beneficiaries.”
Samsung and Xiaomi have had a particularly successful 2024, while Xiaomi’s tablet sales have doubled since 2023, with Samsung’s sales growing by 54%.
Dinesh Nair, director of Lenovo’s consumer business in India, said the brand “facing the Indian tablet market, its devices tailor-made devices for learning, entertainment and productivity, while exploring new categories such as gaming and AI-powered tablets to boost future growth”.
Nair added that the company’s tablets have also seen sharp pickups and drop-offs on the fast business platform. “On Zepto, our Lenovo Tab M11 is the most purchased tablet, and we are optimistic about expanding this channel further to enhance customer accessibility and convenience. Over the next six to 12 months, we expect continued rising demand for accessories, peripherals, tablets and entry-level devices, given its lower ticket size and immediate replacement demand.”
Samsung has not responded yet Mint’S requests comment until the release time.
Anuj Sharma, chief marketing officer of Xiaomi India, said tablets “are experiencing significant growth due to the growing demand for multifunctional, productivity-centric devices.”
He added: “With Xiaomi tablet sales growth of 92%, the segment is expanding rapidly. 2025 is expected to be a milestone in innovation, deeper market penetration, and the growth of the tablet ecosystem. We are optimistic about the continued development of this space.”
Complications of laptops
But for laptop brands, the story is even more complicated. IDC India research manager Bharath Shenoy said that 2025 is expected to increase tablet sales by 12% in 2024. However, laptop sales may be limited to a very slim 1% growth.
“The brand efforts of ‘AI PCS’ are not finding buyers, and the entrance department is sucking with tablets. While brands will still see buyers this year, the growth in laptop sales may be limited to unit numbers,” said Singh of IDC.
Counterpoint’s Pathak also expects higher unit growth years for tablet sales, and as more buyers look for devices at their disposable, the price of each tablet sold may be higher.
“Laptop sales will be driven primarily by enterprise sales, as support for older Windows 10 devices will end this year. However, for consumers, tablet sales are expected to remain strong, as Patak said, “Patak said:
Forecasts from market data suggest that in terms of revenue, the growth of the laptop market may be very slim, while the revenue of consumers’ tablet market may increase by 20% year-on-year. This will keep the laptop market at a lower level than 2021, the best year ever, while tablets sell closer to 3 million units per year.
IDC’s data secured Samsung as a market leader in tablets in 2024, accounting for only nearly 43% of the tablet market, with 2.4 million units sold in a year. Apple, Lenovo and Xiaomi are third, fourth and fifth respectively, accounting for 9-11% of the market. Although Acer has the second largest market share, its sales are driven primarily by commercial agreements with business and government deals.
