Dell pips HP to become numero uno in India

Computer maker Dell has overtaken global rival HP for the first time in the Indian market, with a 15.2 per cent share, according to research firm IDC.

For the quarter ended June this year, Dell had 15.2 per cent of the personal computer (PC) market share, while HP trailed at 14.3 per cent of the 23.70 lakh units sold in the quarter.

"Our customer-centric focus and strategy have paid rich dividends, validated by our becoming the number one PC vendor in India," Dell India Country General Manager Sameer Garde told PTI.

The total PC market grew 5.8 per cent compared with the quarter ended March 2010, taking the June quarter numbers to about 23.70 lakh units, including desktops and notebooks.

Acer, with a 11.5 per cent share, took the third spot.

Facing tough competition from Asian PC makers like Acer, Lenovo and Toshiba, the Indian market has also helped Dell capture the second spot globally.

In terms of notebook PC shipments, Dell reclaimed the top spot with a market share of 29.2 per cent in April-June 2010, while HP slipped to second position, followed by Acer.

"An important factor for gaining share in a buoyant market is our big bet on mobility -– as notebooks gain more and more momentum in the Indian PC market, our leadership in this segment, driven by our products and backed by our service differentiator, is making all the difference," Garde said.

Dell had claimed the top spot in the notebooks segment during the quarter ended December 2009, but lost it again to HP in March 2010 quarter.

HP officials could not be contacted for comments.

For the June 2010 quarter, notebook sales grew 61 per cent year-on-year to 8.05 lakh units, while sales were flat compared sequentially (8.03 lakh units in Jan-Mar 2010).

"The April-June quarter traditionally shows a small sequential dip in PC sales. The sequential growth of 6 per cent in overall India PC shipments in 2Q 2010 points to the continuing economic revival," IDC India Associate Vice President (Research) Anirban Banerjee said.