PC sales cross 6.4 lakh units in Q1; Mait ups forecast for H1

On the back of buoyant consumption by industry verticals and corporates, personal computer sales during the first quarter ended June 30, 2003, crossed 6.4 lakh units, a growth of 26 per cent over the year-ago period, according to the Manufacturing Association of Information Technology (Mait). Improved business sentiment in the market has also led to upward revision of hardware association’s first-half sales projections to over 14.2 lakh units from 12.1 lakh units estimated earlier.

However, the share of assembled PCs comprising the lesser known regional brands and unbranded systems rose to 65 per cent of PC sales during April-June quarter, with MNCs brand accounting for 19 per cent while Indian brands cornered the remaining 16 per cent. According to Mait’s quarterly review, the buoyant IT consumption witnessed in 2002-03 continued undiminished in the first quarter of this year as PC sales crossed 6.4 units. ‘‘With robust growth prospects, the IT market is expected to grow at 18 per cent in 2003-04 over the previous year to cross 27 lakh units’’, it said.