Latest data has it that Microsoft is still not intending to launch its Windows Tablet, Surface in the Indian market. This is puzzling considering that India is one of the largest users of mobile devices in the world.
It is said that Microsoft is wary of the tough competitions tablet companies have in India given the existing popularity of local brands like Lava and Micromax. These local brands are priced accordingly so that they suit the value-conscious Indian consumer. Perhaps, this is what that is not luring Microsoft into taking that step into India.
Microsoft is reportedly being extremely careful before deciding whether to launch the Surface range in India. Despite being 6 months since the first launch of the product, the company is unable to provide a date for the India launch. The Surface Pro however, is being launched in 20 new markets such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Finland and France in the month to come. Currently, the situation in India is such that Samsung is the deeply entrenched brand. Then follow other brands like local brand Micromax, Lava along with Apple. The Indian market is such that consumers are extremely conscious about value and would go for a medium range tablet which suits their budget rather than one which exceeds their budget despite being a big brand name worldwide.
In any case, research shows that the Surface which is Windows 8 based tablet has not attained much commercial success. There is reportedly little headway made by Surface in the global market for tablets. This is especially true because it has evidently not been able to challenge the dominance of the iPad. While Microsoft sold around 900,000 tablets worldwide between January and March 2013, Apple managed a hefty figure of 19.5 million iPads.
Critics out there say that the 7-inch Windows 8 tablet is unlikely even in the long term to boost Microsoft’s ranking in the tablet market unless the company significantly reduces the prices and lure people away from iPads. In view of this, Microsoft’s chief operating officer Kevin Turner noted that the company is now working on a new range of devices which would be priced lower. However, no other details were revealed. Other large brand names such as Blackberry’s Playbook, Acer and Lenovo have lost their ranking in the Indian tablet market. This is primarily because of poor marketing, given that entrants have to compete with local brands which provide affordable devices. As such, Microsoft will need to handle the Indian market carefully and work out well-crafted strategies to take on the larger and more popular or well established tablet brands in the country.
So, whether India gets the Surface tablet in the country waits to be seen. However, it is unlikely the consumers in the country are going to feel the pinch as they already have other large and well-established brands providing affordable rates in the country. Android is a platform which is highly popular in the country with most smartphone users using phones running on Android platform. If the Windows tablet does enter the Indian market, speculators predict that it may not be very well-received as consumers are cautious about switching to a platform which is fairly new in the country. Cost is also a primary consideration, hence, unless prices are slashed, the Windows tablet will be a sure no-no.