India PC Shipments Hit Record 15.9 Million in 2025, Surpassing Pandemic Peak
India's PC market hit a record 15.9 million units shipped in 2025, growing 10.2% year-over-year and surpassing the pandemic-era peaks of 2021-2022. It's the first time India has crossed the 15-million-unit milestone, according to IDC data — and the numbers reveal both a booming market and a massive digital divide that still exists.
What's Driving the Growth
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed millions of Indians to PCs for the first time. Now, those pandemic-era laptops are aging out, creating a massive upgrade cycle. Beyond replacements, growing digitization, rising PC adoption among startups and small businesses, and wider device availability in smaller cities are all fueling demand.
India's share of global PC shipments rose from 3.3% in 2020 to 5.6% in 2025, making it one of the fastest-growing PC markets in the world.
Who's Buying
Commercial buyers accounted for 52.9% of shipments, driven partly by a Windows refresh cycle. Small and medium-sized businesses and public sector organizations are beginning to replace older devices. The consumer segment made up the remaining 47.1%.
Top Vendors and Apple's Struggle
HP, Lenovo, Dell, Acer, and Asus lead the Indian PC market. Apple's MacBooks, however, hold just 5.6% of India's notebook market — compared to roughly 20% in the US. About 85-87% of Mac shipments in India come from consumers, reflecting Apple's limited enterprise presence.
Apple's newly launched MacBook Neo (a lower-priced model) could help boost its Indian market share, especially as Windows notebooks are becoming more expensive.
AI PCs Are Coming
AI features are beginning to appear in premium laptops in India, though they're not yet a major purchase driver. Enterprises that previously bought premium notebooks are now opting for AI-enabled PCs within the same budget range, and demand from content creators could support further adoption.
The Digital Divide
Despite the record numbers, PC penetration in India remains at just 17-20%. That means roughly 80% of India's 1.4 billion people still don't have a personal computer. While 15.9 million units is a record, it barely scratches the surface of potential demand.
The Bottom Line
India's PC market may face a 5% dip in 2026 due to rising prices and component shortages, but the long-term trajectory is clear: with the lowest PC penetration of any major economy and a growing digital economy, India's PC boom is just getting started. The real question is whether Apple can crack the enterprise market before the next upgrade cycle passes it by.