The Indian PC market is experiencing incredible growth as the demand for PCs is increasing rapidly. India is one of the most promising markets for PC brands. Acer is serving this market with its state-of-the-art PCs that are designed to deliver an unmatched user experience. Rajeev Ranjan, Editor, Digital Terminal recently held an exclusive chat with Priya Murthy, Director – Consumer Business, Acer India. She talked about dynamic market landscape, growth trajectory, evolving demands, Acer's retail presence and strategies to stay ahead in this competitive market. Read the complete conversation below.
Rajeev: How do you see the current PC market landscape in India?
Priya: The pandemic led to a surge in PC sales over the last two years due to remote work and learning. However, in 2023, the market is expected to undergo a correction and experience some effects of an economic slowdown, particularly in the enterprise segment. In contrast, western nations are dealing with inflation, recession, and other monetary pressures that may limit expenditure. However, in India, there is optimism for PC growth in 2023 because the penetration of PCs in Indian households is still low compared to smartphones, where there are already 600 million users. Therefore, there is a lot of potential for growth in segments such as gaming, SMB, government, BFSI, first-time buyers, and upgrade buyers, which will be the major contributors to growth in 2023.
Rajeev: What are your channel plans to grow your business in this financial year? What are your revenue targets for FY 2023-24?
Priya: Our channel plans for this financial year involve expanding our reach to more customers by strengthening our partnerships with key retailers and distributors, as well as exploring new distribution channels. We are also opening new stores and partnering with retail leaders to expand our retail presence and provide a more convenient and personalized shopping experience to our customers.
As for our revenue targets for FY 2023-24, we are confident in our ability to achieve sustainable growth and deliver strong results. We are committed to providing high-quality products and services that meet the evolving needs of our customers, and we believe that our channel plans and investments in digital marketing and customer support will help us achieve our goals.
Rajeev: How do you see the retail presence of Acer across India? How many retail/exclusive stores do you have currently and what are your plans to expand the network?
Priya: At Acer, we are dedicated to delivering a superior shopping experience to our customers, and we've been expanding our retail presence in India to achieve this. Our network of retail partners and exclusive Acer stores across major cities in India offer a variety of Acer products, such as laptops, desktops, and monitors, as well as accessories and peripherals. We plan to extend our network of approximately 130 exclusive Acer stores across India to provide more customers with a personalized and convenient shopping experience.
Aside from our exclusive stores, we also have a solid presence in multi-brand retail outlets and e-commerce platforms throughout India. This enables us to reach a more extensive customer base and offer them a variety of Acer products and services. We're devoted to providing our customers with the best possible shopping experience, and we will continue to expand our retail network throughout India to accomplish this objective. We're continually examining new opportunities to expand our presence and introduce the newest Acer products and technologies to customers throughout India.
Rajeev: How do you see the growth of gamers in India? How is the demand of your mid-range to high end gaming devices among gamers?
Priya: The growth of gamers in India has been remarkable in recent years, driven by the increasing popularity of online gaming and the rise of e-sports. As a result, we have seen strong demand for our mid-range to high-end gaming devices among gamers in India. Our devices are engineered to provide an engaging and seamless gaming experience that meets the needs of gamers of all levels. These devices come equipped with powerful processors, high-end graphics cards, and advanced cooling systems, which allow gamers to run the latest games and demanding applications effortlessly. We believe that the Indian gaming market has enormous potential for expansion, and we are committed to being at the forefront of this growth.
Rajeev: Where do you see Acer in the traditional PC market in India?
Priya: Acer has a strong presence in the traditional PC market in India and has consistently been ranked among the top PC brands in the country. Our success in the Indian PC market can be attributed to our focus on delivering innovative and value-driven products that cater to different segments of the market, ranging from entry-level laptops and desktops to high-end gaming devices and workstations. We believe that our commitment to providing technologically advanced products that meet the evolving needs of our customers, combined with our focus on innovation, quality, and customer satisfaction, will continue to drive our success in the traditional PC market in India.
Rajeev: How the latest launches at NextAtAcer global conference will cement Acer’s dominance in the PC market? What are your expectations from these innovative PCs in terms of acceptance among Indian customers?
Priya: We are thrilled to have unveiled our latest products and innovations at the NextAtAcer global conference. These new devices showcase our commitment to providing our customers with cutting-edge technology and innovative solutions that meet their computing needs.
Our latest launches include a range of laptops and desktops that offer advanced features such as high-performance processors, longer battery life, and advanced connectivity options. These devices are designed to cater to the needs of different segments of the market, including gamers, creators, and professionals. Products from our Swift, Predator and Vero line of products are high in innovation and technology.
We believe that our latest launches will help cement our dominance in the PC market by providing our customers with innovative and value-driven products that offer a superior computing experience. We are confident that our latest offerings will be well-received by customers in India, given the growing demand for technologically advanced and feature-rich computing devices in the country.
