Asus eyes 15-20% share of India consumer notebook market by 2019-end

Taiwanese tech major Asus Tuesday said it aims to corner 15-20 per cent share of consumer notebook market in India by the end of the year as it expands its product portfolio and retail presence in the country. The company, which has been aggressively expanding its online as well as offline presence in the country, Tuesday also unveiled its new line up of 'thin and light' notebook PCs. "We already have 12 per cent market share in May (as per Microsoft activation report) and have already crossed 10 per cent share (according to IDC)... We are targeting 15-20 per cent share of the consumer notebook segment by the end of the calendar year," ASUS India Head of Consumer Notebooks and ROG Business Arnold Su told PTI.

He added that the company has seen strong growth in its range of 'thin and light' notebooks - laptops weighing under 2 kgs with thickness less than 20mm. According to research firm IDC, the notebook PC category contributed 61.4 per cent to the overall PC market shipments in India (2.15 million units) in January-March 2019 quarter.

Within the notebook category, ultraslim category - with a 25.3 per cent share of the market - grew by 86.5 per cent, as per IDC. Su said Asus is ramping up its retail presence through partners in the Indian market.

"We are opening 7-10 exclusive stores every month, these are franchise stores. By the end of the year, we expect the number to touch 200 from over 100 right now," he added. He said the offline route accounts for about 70-80 per cent of the notebook sales in the country, while online channels account for the rest, and the ratio is similar for Asus India as well.

Asus Tuesday launched its new 'VivoBook' notebooks in 14-inch and 15.6-inch form factors, priced at Rs 33,990 onwards. The devices will be available in multiple colour options, and also feature a fingerprint sensor. "The devices are crafted for high performance and easy portability, and are designed for today's young and eclectic users that are always on the move and prefer finer pursuits in life," Asus Regional Head India and South Asia Leon Yu said.