India’s festive season has begun. Houses are being cleaned, outfits are getting planned, and a sudden consumer shift from impulse buying to calculated and pre-planned buying is gaining prominence.
Interestingly, high-value purchases are seeing an uptick. It is no longer restricted to gold and silver purchases; the newer generation is taking another look at these high-investment purchases and is looking at electronics like laptops to invest in during this phase.
The festive quarter is going beyond a short spike of sales during Diwali to become a prolonged period that is supported with discounts and hard-to-miss value adds. Market studies have suggested that consumers are set to further increase their purchase limit from last year.
This can be owed to the fact that consumers are no longer shying away from investing in products that offer value. Taking the example of the PC domain, the discourse seems to be moving beyond just the pricing aspect. This growing preference is substantiated by the growth of the market itself.
The purchase journey now starts before the store
Demand behaviour is gradually changing. Today's consumers benefit from access to countless information resources, such as expert reviews, comparison sites, social media, content produced by popular bloggers, and more. The Global Consumer Insights Pulse Survey conducted by PwC showed that 65 per cent of surveyed consumers in India often read product reviews prior to making a purchase, while 66 per cent also read what competitors charge for the same product.
Owing to more detailed information available, potential buyers are going beyond price as a key distinguisher and comparing based on specifications such as CPU type, screen type, battery life, RAM, storage size, weight, operating system, and after-sales services. Thus, brands must strive to ease this process. While technical parameters are significant for consumers, they also want to know what the specifications really mean to them in their everyday life.
AI is becoming part of the value equation
Artificial intelligence is one more element changing the PC segment. AI is transitioning from being a fashionable term into a genuine feature that buyers are currently considering. IDC claimed that in Q1 2026, shipments of AI-enabled laptops in India increased by 96.1 per cent year over year.
At the same time, shipments of premium laptops rose extremely fast, adding 70.1 per cent, and the demand for laptops costing over $1,000 increased by 92.4 per cent. These trends suggest that consumers are ready to pay more for the right offer.
However, the next steps in AI adaptation by PCs will depend on how well the industry can convert the capabilities of AI into real-life opportunities. Users do not necessarily require another catalogue of technical specifications; they need to know how AI can help them do their work quicker, make their creative process smoother, improve their communication and personalise their overall experience.
For students, professionals, creators, and gamers, the question is not whether their PC comes with AI, but what they can do with AI better.
The retail store remains an important part of the decision
A laptop is an experiential product. Consumers want to see the display, feel the keyboard, check the weight, know the standards of the product construction, and understand how the product works before purchasing.
This turns a retail outlet into more than just a place where a transaction occurs; it becomes an experience centre for customers to verify the research they have done before.
For manufacturers, it means that having qualified staff in the store, demonstrating the product live, and comparing products can be as effective as simply advertising.
Value is no longer synonymous with the lowest price
The most significant change in festive PC purchasing may actually be in how consumers understand value. While the price will always be an important element during a price-centric period, value is becoming a much more complex combination of efficiency, specifications, service, price plan, reliability and durability.
The emergence of buyers’ premium needs can serve as a signal of such transformation. According to IDC, shipments of premium notebooks priced above $1,000 grew 70.1 per cent year-on-year, driven by a 92.4 per cent increase in consumer demand and a 56.1 per cent rise in commercial demand. Consumers are, thus, ready to invest more money if such investment brings additional advantages.
Financing is also changing the way affordability is viewed by customers. Rather than focusing on the initial price only, customers can evaluate performance and durability when planning their monthly contributions. With the help of flexible payment options, which is going to reduce the impact of the upfront cost, allowing consumers to purchase PCs with better specifications and newer technologies within the limit of their monthly budget. Thus, better financing options can represent a significant value proposition during the festive season, helping brands enhance their value offer beyond just the discount.
After-sales service rounds out the equation. The PC is expected to be efficient for several years, so warranty maintenance, service access, software support and reliability matter for the total ownership experience.
Festive buying will become more intentional
As the Indian market enters the festive season with a strong growth trajectory, the opportunity for brands extends beyond driving sales through discounts solely.
Festive offers are going to bring brands closer to the consumer, but those brands who know how to stand out and know how to deliver true value will get more advantage of the festive season.
The most successful strategy will not be a single offer, but the ability of one brand to combine all those aspects crucial for customers during their buying process and product ownership.
The author is product and marketing head of Consumer and Gaming PC at ASUS India.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK.
