PC sales up marginally, over 37 lakh units in H1

Improving market sentiments helped the personal computers (PC) sales rise by one per cent to over 37 lakh units during the first six months of 2009-10, mostly driven by demand in the last few months of the financial year.

"Although the sales growth was subdued in the enterprises, the overall consumption in the PC market was led by telecom, BFSI, education and household segments," IT hardware industry body MAIT Executive Director Vinnie Mehta told reporters here.

The total PC (including desktops, netbooks, notebooks) sales stood at 37.1 lakh between April and September 2009, MAIT said.

With market sentiments improving in the later part of the fiscal, MAIT expects PC sales to pick-up and cross 73 lakh units in FY 2009-10, a seven per cent growth, he added.

On the industry body's Budget wishlist, MAIT President and HP President (IPG) Ravi Aggarwal said, "We want stability in policy framework and also for the stimulus package to continue. MAIT has strongly recommended that the 8 per cent excise duty on all IT products and components be maintained."

The body is also pushing for the removal of the 4 per cent Special Additional Duty (SAD), which will help local manufacturers in competing in the market, Aggarwal added.

In the first six months, desktops sales fell 11 per cent at 26.1 lakh units compared to 29.1 lakh units sold in the same period last year.