E-tailers and festive sales boost Inkjet printer market in India

The Indian Hard Copy Peripherals (HCP) market comprising printers and copiers grew 25.6% in the third quarter from the second quarter this year, helped by festive sales, according to research firm IDC.

The HCP market posted quarterly shipments of approx. 1.1 million units in Q3 2018. While there was a 1.7% decline year-on-year, it can be primarily attributed to the strong demand for laser printers post GST implementation last year.

"Shipments in Q3 2018 were driven primarily by the online channel segment in preparation for the sales events in the run up to the Diwali Festival. Unlike the previous years, 2018 was marked by the increased focus of e-commerce players on the Printer category,” said Bani Johri, Market Analyst at IDC India.

He added that HCP and e-commerce players were fairly confident of replicating it with printer category as well this year, having realized the success of mobile phone, accessories and the various white goods categories in previous such online events.

Inkjet printer shipments grew by 5.5% year-on-year with a contribution of 55.3% to overall India HCP market, the highest ever recorded. Growth in inkjet printer shipments was led by Ink tank printers which recorded a 12.9% growth year-on-year.