Will regain top spot in Indian PC market, says HP MD Neelam Dhawan

BANGALORE: Computer hardware and software maker Hewlett-Packard is confident of regaining its position as India's largest PC seller, its managing director in India Neelam Dhawan said on Tuesday.

Following a few quarters when HP was navigating turbulent changes in its top leadership, its rivals gained market share, pushing it down the pecking order. In India where it ranks third in sales, HP will have to beat Chinese rival Lenovo, which currently leads personal computer sales in Asia's third largest economy. Taiwanese rival Acer ranks second.

"It is a constant struggle in this market as there are several products that look the same. But HP has a new range of products that are sleeker and better. This will help us increase market share and regain the top spot," Dhawan told ET on the sidelines of an event in Bangalore.

According to data from market researcher Gartner, HP has 13.3% market share in India compared to Acer's 13.4% and Lenovo's 16.6%, at of end of June.

HP's bullishness, however, is in dissonance with analyst estimates which expect Lenovo and Acer to retain their dominance in the Indian market. According to analysts, the Asian firms operate at a much lower cost compared to HP, helping them cover potential losses.

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After the controversial exit of former chief executive Mark Hurd in 2010, there was a short, disastrous stint by Leo Apotheker during which HP lost billions of dollars in market valuation.

Before current chief executive Meg Whitman took over, the HP confused further investors and its partners by hinting at exiting PC business. Confusion at top led to marketshare erosion during last two years, which the company is seeking to re-gain now.

Whitman has announced a series of turnaround strategies, including 29,000 job cuts, expected to help the PC maker save as much as $3.5 billion by the end of 2014.