However, worldwide PC sales growth is estimated to be 352 million units this year, just 3.8 per cent increase from 2010 and much lower than the earlier projection.

As far as India is concerned, though the growth rate was down by 2 per cent year-on-year, this was in line with the prediction of industry body

Manufacturers' Association for Information Technology (MAIT) and research firm IMRB in a joint industry performance report  for FY'10.

Sales of desktops stood at 60.3 lakh units in FY'11, translating into a growth of 9 per cent year-on-year, while notebooks and netbooks recorded combined sales of 33 lakh units, a 31 per cent increase vis-a-vis the previous fiscal.

In FY'10, sales of desktops stood at 55.2 lakh units, while notebook and netbook sales amounted to 25 lakh units. In its report for the 2009-10 financial year, MAIT had predicted sales to grow by 16 per cent to 9.35 lakh units in FY'11.

MAIT president Sandeep Nair said the industry is pleased to see the stable growth trajectory. 'The overall IT hardware industry scenario is good and stable, as it witnessed growth across all products. FY'11 has indeed been a great year for the Indian IT hardware market, as the sales have really picked up across all product segments,' Nair said.

He attributed the growth to stable economic growth and an increase in disposable income, despite inflation being a constraint.

'The growth seems to be consolidated and it's bound to grow from here on. The industry is hopeful that overall PC sales will  cross 126 lakh units in FY'12, registering 35 per cent annual growth,' Nair said.

Coming to the global scenario, according to IT research and advisory firm Gartner Inc, PC shipments by the end of 2012 are expected to reach 404 million units, 10.9 per cent increase from 2011, Gartner said in a statement on its latest preliminary forecast.

PC sales growth for both 2011 and 2012 has been reduced from earlier projections, which were 9.3 per cent for 2011 and 12.8  per cent growth for 2012.

The lower outlook is largely due to sharply downgraded forecasts for the Western Europe and the US in the second half of the year, Gartner said.

The lower outlook for 2012 is the result of weak 2011, and also a slower start seen for 2012. It said better growth is  expected in the second half of next year as economies stabilise and new mobile PC form factors enter the market.

Even so, the slowdown in the market is notable: Total unit shipments in 2012 are expected to barely reach 400 million units,  which was originally a target for 2011.

'Western Europe is not only struggling through excess PC inventory, but economic upheaval as well,' said Ranjit Atwal,  research director at Gartner.