Tablet market in India to grow 40%, to cross 1.6 million units in 2012-13: Study

BANGALORE: Tablet sales in India are expected to cross 1.6 million units this year, a growth of 40% over last year and way above the 16% growth registered by personal computers.

According to the apex body for information technology hardware Manufacturers Association of IT, tablets are emerging as the preferred device for entertainment and content consumption.

As per MAIT, the average price for a tablet sold in India is about Rs 24,000 and Apple's iOS, Google's Android, Blackberry lead the way in platforms.

MAIT estimates that tablet market will grow to 7.3 million units by 2015-16.

"The tablet market is the new blue-eyed growth opportunity in India. With the introduction of several national and international brands of tablets in India, the market is witnessing a revolution of sorts," said MAIT President Alok Bharadwaj.

According to a recent study by CMR India Research, Micromax's Funbook led the Indian tablet market last quarter with an 18% market share, followed by Samsung's Galaxy Tab at 13% and Apple's iPad at 12%.

In contrast to tablets, desktop sales grew only 11% and notebook sales grew 26% in last 12 months.

In another development, MAIT announced that HCL Infosystems Chief Operating Officer JV Ramamurthy will take over as the new president. Amar Babu, managing director of Lenevo, will take over as vice president.