From a QoQ perspective, the segment however grew by 21.8 percent, primarily by HP’s delayed 2Q21 shipment spilling over into 3Q21
India’s printer market, which includes Inkjet printers, Laser A3/A4 printers and Copiers, Serial Dot Matrix Printers, and Line Printers, registered shipment of 0.84 million units in the July-September quarter, growing by 20.3 per cent quarter-over-quarter (QoQ), as per a report by IDC.
However, it declined by 7.5 per cent from a year-over-year (YoY) perspective.
According to IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Hardcopy Peripherals Tracker, the inkjet printers’ segment declined YoY by 11.9 per cent due to the low stock availability of ink cartridge printers.
From a QoQ perspective, the segment however grew by 21.8 percent, primarily by HP’s delayed 2Q21 shipment spilling over into 3Q21.
“Chip shortages and increase in logistics costs will continue to impact the supply of printers and is also likely to cause an upward revision in prices as well. As schools/colleges open, we can expect demand for ink tank printers to start stabilizing in the coming quarters. Laser copier demand is expected to remain strong in Q4, as enterprises continue to bring employees back to offices,” says Nishant Bansal, Senior Research Manager, IPDS, IDC India.
The laser printers’ segment (including copiers) recorded a marginal YoY decline of 1.8 percent. The laser copier segment, however, observed a YoY growth of 15.1 percent.
HP Inc. (excluding Samsung) maintained its leadership in the overall HCP market with a share of 46.9 percent and a YoY growth in shipment of 2.3 percent. The growth was led by the Inkjet printer segment, wherein HP grew by 9.1% YoY, increasing its market share from the last few quarters to 46.3%, thus replacing Epson to become occupy the 1st position in the inkjet printer segment.
Epson occupied the second position in the overall HCP market with a market share of 20.7 percent while registering a YoY decline of 9.4 percent because of the challenges it faced at the production end.
Canon recorded a YoY decline of 25.4 percent and occupied 3rd position in the overall India HCP market, capturing a unit market share of 20.1 percent.
“In the Inkjet printer segment, while the shipment of single-function printers declined, that of the multi-function printers grew at 25.2 percent YoY. This growth came primarily at the back of ink tank printers and more specifically from the $200 – $300 category of printers. Because of its price point and added functionalities, there is a growing preference for multi-function Ink tank printers over Laser A4 printers in offices where these printers are typically deployed in the cabins of senior-level management. Most of the demand was met by HP and it could have been higher had it not been for the stock crunch that Epson and Canon faced in 3Q21,” says Bani Johri, Market Analyst, IPDS, IDC India.
