PC shipments dip 5 p.c. in Q3

NEW DELHI, OCT. 29. India's personal computer shipments dipped 5 per cent to touch 4.48 lakh units in the third quarter of 2001 from 4.72 lakh units in the same period in the previous year, even as China showed a healthy 12.9 per cent growth during the period.

The shipments reflected a marginal 0.8 per cent growth quarter on quarter from 4.45 lakh units in the second quarter of 2001 to 4.48 lakh units in the third quarter of the current fiscal, preliminary results by International Data Corporation (IDC) said.

Overall the Asia Pacific (excluding Japan) PC market reached 5.29 million units in Q3, representing a one per cent dip from the thrid quarter in 2000 but a two per cent growth from second quarter in 2001.

``The year-on-year contraction reflected slower market conditions further exacerbated by the tragic events of September 11. Excluding China, PC shipments plunged by 9 per cent from a year before and a further 2 per cent from the previous quarter," it said.

IDC said that the current situation appeared to be even more severe as corporate replacement cycles were further stretched and any discretionary income are less likely to be spent on buying new PCs, and added that amid gloom China continued to be a beacon for PC vendors as the main fundamentals driving PC demand had not changed.

Chinese PC shipments touched 2.2 million units in the third quarter of 2001, from 2 million units in Q3 2000, translating into a 12.9 per cent growth.

Compared quarter on quarter, this growth was to the tune of 8.2 per cent, from 2.09 million units in Q2 2001 to 2.27 million units in Q3 2001.

Commenting on the outlook, IDC said that its revised forecast assumed that the Asia Pacific (excluding Japan) PC market would grow at 6.4 per cent for 2001, compared to a previous growth estimate of 10.7 per cent.

While domestic demand growth would not be strong enough to fully offset the decline in exports, particularly, in trade dependent counties, it would be resilient enough to prevent the region from sliding into a recession resembling the crisis of 1997-98.

``The U.S. economic recovery is expected to be delayed and Asian economies are expected to resume their growth paths in the late 2002 or early 2003," it said.

PC sales for the region are forecast to grow by 14.2 per cent in 2002, driven by the Indian and Chinese markets which are expected to grow in excess of 20 per cent, it added.

- PTI

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