Branded PCs Dominate Coimbatore Market
At the DI Yatra held in the industrial city of Comibatore, majority of the 75 attending partners stated that branded PCs are steadily making their presence felt in the market. The partners witnessed presentations made by Microsoft and Zenith Computers during the event. T.S. Rajendran, proprietor of Nombus Computers, said, "The reduced cost of the branded PCs has ensured that there isn't much of a difference between them and the assembled units. This has helped the cause of the branded PCs." According to A. A. Janakiraman, proprietor of Sanjeev Infotech, the gradual increase in the number Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), which are an important target segment for these products, has also contributed to the growth of the branded PCs in the city. According to the partners, laptops are steadily gaining ground in the market. " Since the past few months laptops have accounted for around 40% of the PC sales in the market," said Janakiraman. Brands like Lenovo and HP-Compaq have firmly established themselves in the desktop, as well as the laptop segments.However, despite the dominance of the branded goods, assembled PCs have captured around 30% of the market share. However partners were still not convinced about the city's future as an important IT destination. "Despite having good potential, Coimbatore doesn't have the necessary infrastructure to be an IT hub," said Manikandan. S, proprietor of Star IT services. Also, partners complained that service- and warranty-related issues always remain a huge concern in the city.
