Tablet market in India seen at 7.3 million units by 2015-16

The country's tablet PC market is expected to grow at 40 percent to 7.3 million units in 2015-16 from 0.95 million in 2011-12, driven by government purchase and increasing affordability and desirability as lifestyle devices for the youth, hardware industry body MAIT today said.

Manufacturers' Association for Information Technology (MAIT) today launched its report on the Indian tablet PC market, in association with IMRB, which said that the devices have seen massive proliferation in the country and will continue to grow in the next five years, especially with the entry-level budget tablets and mid-range devices.

"The tablet market is the new blue-eyed growth opportunity in India. It is fast becoming one of the drivers of rapid growth in the IT content consumption and hardware sector in India," MAIT President Alok Bhardwaj told reporters here.

With the introduction of several national and international brands of tablet in India, the market is witnessing a revolution of sorts with these devices changing the way services are delivered in various other sectors such as education, healthcare and governance, he added.

MAIT expects the market to touch 1.6 million units in the current financial year and grow to touch 7.3 million units by 2015-16, Bhardwaj, who is also Canon India Senior Vice President, added.

These numbers, however, include those bought by government as well.

Without government purchase, the tablet PC market for consumers alone is expected to grow from 0.35 million in 2011-12 to 1.89 million in 2015-16.

Tablet PCs are computing devices, which are now being used for Internet, connectivity and as a multimedia device. The form factor makes it easier for tablet PCs to be more mobile and the larger screen size, compared to a mobile phone, makes it a better productivity tool.

"A key factor in the growth of tablets has been the encouragement from the government in adopting and developing low-cost options for use in our villages and other rural areas. Education and healthcare services are now being accessed by many more people with the help of low-cost tablet," he said.

Tablets, being one of the cheapest devices available in the Indian market, has the potential that can transform the entire country.

An increasing number of enterprises are also opting for tablet PCs driven by mobility, ease of use, low cost and availability of applications.