The Indian PC market is witnessing impressive growth year-on-year. PC demand remains strong across sectors as people continue to buy PCs for remote learning and working. The unprecedented demand for PCs in both the commercial and consumer sectors helped PC brands to grow. Acer is a strong market player in the Indian PC market and has introduced several PC lineups to capture the attention of the customers. Rajeev Ranjan, Editor, Digital Terminal recently had an exclusive conversation with Sanjeev Mehtani, Chief Sales Officer, Acer India. During the discussion, Mr. Sanjeev briefed about Acer's product strategy, retail presence, channel strategy, customer service commitments etc. Read the full conversation below:
Rajeev: How do you see the growth of Indian PC market in past one year? What were the key milestones for Acer in 2021?
Sanjeev: The year 2021 has been a great year in terms of the growth for the Indian PC market. As per IDC report, India shipped 14.8 million units of personal computers last year and recorded a 44.5% year -over -year growth. There was huge pandemic led demand because of work from home and online studies. We hope this growth keeps increasing in the coming years. We at Acer also were able to grow our business and sales last year which was a great news for us.
Rajeev: What is your product strategy to serve different sets of customers in 2022?
Sanjeev: Sustainability is the key to a better future and At Acer, the new Vero series are an addition to Acer’s new line of products that consciously make an effort in bringing a change in our world with sustainable products. It is our green program to make eco-friendly products that are accountable in nature. From manufacturing to recycling, sustainability is very crucial.
With expansion in technology Acer recently forayed into smart living and technological home solutions. We try to bring change and make the environment healthier by making use of the technology through our AcerPure air purifiers and Ozone Antibacterial Sanitizers in the market. We are bringing Predator Series gaming laptop with high end configurations and features for serious gamers. Some of the important features are unbeatable cooling technology, powerful processors, higher refresh rates etc and specifications such as Core i9, RTX 3070 GPU Core i7 12th gen to name few.
Rajeev: Please tell about your performance in the gaming segment which has been a strong part of Acer in the Indian market.
Sanjeev: Like mentioned before, gaming is a strong segment for Acer and we have provide a stack of products that can meet the requirements of entry, enthusiasts and professional gamers. We encourage gamers not only by providing the best laptops that is available in the market but by various other initiatives. Predator Gaming League is a landmark event organised by us where we host long gruelling competitions.
With technology innovation, gamers in today’s times demand superior performance and experience. At Acer, we aim to fulfil this demand and bring the best to the gaming community. With this aim in mind, we have launched the all-new Predator Helios 300 with 360Hz refresh rates. This will help the Indian gaming community to experience 50% boost over today’s 240Hz competitive displays. As pioneers in the industry, we are proud to bring this feature to the India for the first time and provide a seamless, exciting, and immersive gaming experience.
With experience being king in this digital age it is important for companies like us to emphasise creating connected experiences for our customers. It provides a harmonious integration between AI and processing. With the high performance and demands of users, every unit requires a strong cooling system. Acer being the leader in this space we ensure every product is enabled with an advanced cooling system to improve the unit’s quality of life and to ensure consistent performance.
Rajeev: What is your future engagement plans with the gamers’ community to boost your presence among aspiring/emerging gamers?
Sanjeev: Acer is a serious about growing gaming in India and the world. We support and sponsor many large gaming tournaments with sees participation of worldwide players and audience. Acer Predator Gaming League is also another big event in the gaming calendar in India and across Asia Pacific regions. We aim to bring many new gamers to the fold and also support areas of development like exclusive tournament for women gamers which we did last year to encouraged women gamers to be in the limelight and have helped them achieve a name in the industry.
Rajeev: How are you planning to further expand retail presence in 2022?
Sanjeev: While the last two years has been all about being digital, Acer also witnessed growth physically. Acer currently has 200 exclusive retail stores and with the aim of digitizing India, we are also planning to expand our retail presence to more tier 2 and tier 3 cities.
Rajeev: How do you see the contribution of your channel partners in driving the growth and helping Acer to grow despite a competitive business environment?
Sanjeev: It is extremely important to empower partners and VAR’s as well-defined partner and VAR ecosystem can help generate customer-ready solutions and accelerate time to market. With the rapid digital transformation, we at Acer made sure to build a strong relationship with our partners, understand their needs and empower them with the right set of knowledge and skills.
A good partnership can be powerful. For growth of any organizations, partner programs are very important. Engaging with right partners can help enhance the brand, increase sales footprint, and help grow the customer base. Our partners are provided with trainings and they are equipped to provide expert consultation on all products across segments which enables the customer to make the right purchase this also enables us to position the brand and the product with our right set of customers. The last two years have been difficult for everyone but even during the difficult times our partners have trusted and stood by us.
Rajeev: How do you take care of better margin and rewards for your channel partners?
Sanjeev: Acer has always been a channel-friendly company and we believe in growing with our channel partners. Our partners have played a crucial role in positioning Acer as a leader in the technology segment and remain the key medium to reach out to our target audience. They are an extension of our company and the only go-to route for us.
Our margins structures are very transparent and some of the best in the industry due to our tight operational efficiency, Make in India products and products that are right fit for the Indian market which enables partners to achieve their targets. This efficiency and manufacturing strength also helps the customer to get the best prices as well.
