New Delhi: International Data Corporation (IDC) reports stated that ‘Tablet sales in India, one of the largest growth markets for the smart device, is expected to remain flat 2014 on account of mandatory BIS compliance and increasing demand for 'phablets'.’
According to analysts, Asia Pacific and China currently have the highest tablet penetration rates among emerging markets, though Brazil, India and Russia are also expected to experience significant growth.
Industry estimates also stated tablet sales in India grew 56.4 per cent to 4.14 million units against 2.66 million units in 2012. This was primarily driven by strong demand for low-cost models from stables of Micromax and Lava.
"IDC anticipates the overall tablet market to remain flat in CY 2014. Government mandate on Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Certification mixed with the growing popularity of phablets (devices with 5-7 inch screen size) is likely to obstruct the growth in the tablet category," said Kiran Kumar, Research Manager IDC. However, there has been an uptake in adoption of tablets amongst commercial users. These are primarily meeting relevant needs in industries like financial services, healthcare, media and education, among others, he added. The delay in BIS certification is expected to affect the launch of several devices by companies.
Political developments in countries like India, Indonesia and Thailand could also affect commercial spending on devices like tablets and PCs.
