Asus aims to capture 50% of India's 6,000+ Talukas in 2 years, bets big on premium push
If you're waiting for laptop prices to drop, you might be waiting until 2027. Here's what Asus is doing to get your attention.
What do you do if you are a PC brand in 2026 facing a double whammy of increasing cost and thinning margins? If you are Asus, the answer is that you double down on premium innovation. While at it, you go ahead and double down on bringing those innovations to market at breakneck speed. Finally, you double down on physical access points, so more people have access to –most of— that innovation. The plan appears rock-solid on paper. But it seems to be playing out even better on the ground, according to Arnold Su, Vice President of Consumer and Gaming PC, System Business Group at Asus India.
“In Q1, our results crossed a 20 percent market share for the entire quarter,” Su tells India Today Tech, noting that while the company has hit that milestone before, this is the first time it has sustained it for a full three-month period. “Our year-over-year growth for Q1 2026 versus 2025 is significant – more than 25 percent – and even crossed 30 percent during two of those months.” The growth piece is significant because the general Indian PC market grew by a modest 10 percent which is to say that Asus “outperformed” the market combined.
However, Su is quick to point out that this stellar performance was partially driven by market expectations of an impending price hike. Consumers have apparently been preponing their purchases in anticipation that prices may go up any time. “Market sentiment was influenced by channel partners, dealers, and even platforms like Flipkart...urging customers to ‘buy a laptop now’ before prices increase,” Su explains.
If you’re waiting for laptop prices to drop, you might be waiting until 2027. If you compare December 2025 prices to April 2026, they are already 30- to 40 percent higher, Su says. Another 5-10 percent increase might just be around the corner.
The culprit isn't just inflation, but the global hunger for Artificial Intelligence. The demand for Nvidia’s AI servers requires High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), which consumes three to four times more chips than regular RAM. “Memory vendors are prioritising HBM because it's more profitable, leaving the regular consumer supply in disorder,” Su adds. “Currently, if the demand is 100, the supply is only 30.” With costs for components like RAM reportedly jumping as much as 450 percent in some instances, Su is transparent about the impact on the consumer: “It isn't possible to absorb these costs in any segment because the hike is simply too high. We expect prices to stabilise at 40- to 45-percent higher than last year.”
Despite the global uncertainty, Asus’s confidence in India remains unshaken. Su traces this back to 2018, when the company decided to stop treating India as a secondary market.
“Previously, brands assumed India only wanted entry-level products and would wait months to launch the latest tech here,” Su recalls. The turning point was the launch of the Zenbook Pro Duo, a dual-screen laptop priced at almost Rs 90,000. “I was nervous, but India proved to be the second-largest market in the world for that product, outselling China and the US. That was a wake-up call...India is not just an entry-level market.”
Today, that philosophy has evolved into a 360-degree retail and service blitz. Asus has moved beyond its 324 exclusive stores and 25 ROG zones to reach 600 of India’s 788 districts. The next frontier is the taluka.
“Our goal is to take these products beyond metros to all 788 districts of India,” Su says. “We are now moving into the 'taluka’ level, aiming to cover 50 percent of India's 6,000 plus talukas in the next two years.”
This expansion isn't just about sales. It’s about true premiumisation. Su points to Asus’ new service model as proof: “We are the first IT company in India to offer on-site service for accessories. If your 500-rupee mouse fails...we send an engineer to your home. That is real premiumisation.”
Asus likens buying a premium laptop to buying a car, and it is setting out to deliver a sales experience on lines that are close, if not entirely similar, to buying a luxury vehicle. Su reiterates that premium does not necessarily point to the highest-end product featuring top-tier build, display, or chip. Looking at its portfolio, most of its high-tech gear is already trickling down to more affordable price points, be it the new Ceraluminum chassis which allows the engineers to explore new colours and finishes or the use of AMOLED panels and making it standard across price points. Asus is also among the first few brands to move its machines to Intel’s latest Panther Lake chips.
As the industry shifts toward AI PCs, Asus is already segmenting the market into “Everyday AI” (Mainstream) and “Advanced AI” (ROG/ProArt) tiers. Su predicts that by 2028, the term “AI PC” will vanish because every PC will be one by default.
In this changing landscape, even the entry of new competitors like the Apple MacBook Neo is apparently a win-win situation. While many brands might fear a more affordable MacBook, Asus is, in fact, welcoming the competition. “We respect Apple as a strong competitor. However, with PC penetration in India at only 12 percent, we see Apple’s entry into this segment as a positive contributor to growing the overall market,” Su concludes. “All PC brands working together will help increase India's PC penetration faster. That is how I view the MacBook Neo – it's a positive signal for the industry.”
What do you do if you are a PC brand in 2026 facing a double whammy of increasing cost and thinning margins? If you are Asus, the answer is that you double down on premium innovation. While at it, you go ahead and double down on bringing those innovations to market at breakneck speed. Finally, you double down on physical access points, so more people have access to –most of— that innovation. The plan appears rock-solid on paper. But it seems to be playing out even better on the ground, according to Arnold Su, Vice President of Consumer and Gaming PC, System Business Group at Asus India.
“In Q1, our results crossed a 20 percent market share for the entire quarter,” Su tells India Today Tech, noting that while the company has hit that milestone before, this is the first time it has sustained it for a full three-month period. “Our year-over-year growth for Q1 2026 versus 2025 is significant – more than 25 percent – and even crossed 30 percent during two of those months.” The growth piece is significant because the general Indian PC market grew by a modest 10 percent which is to say that Asus “outperformed” the market combined.
However, Su is quick to point out that this stellar performance was partially driven by market expectations of an impending price hike. Consumers have apparently been preponing their purchases in anticipation that prices may go up any time. “Market sentiment was influenced by channel partners, dealers, and even platforms like Flipkart...urging customers to ‘buy a laptop now’ before prices increase,” Su explains.
If you’re waiting for laptop prices to drop, you might be waiting until 2027. If you compare December 2025 prices to April 2026, they are already 30- to 40 percent higher, Su says. Another 5-10 percent increase might just be around the corner.
The culprit isn't just inflation, but the global hunger for Artificial Intelligence. The demand for Nvidia’s AI servers requires High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), which consumes three to four times more chips than regular RAM. “Memory vendors are prioritising HBM because it's more profitable, leaving the regular consumer supply in disorder,” Su adds. “Currently, if the demand is 100, the supply is only 30.” With costs for components like RAM reportedly jumping as much as 450 percent in some instances, Su is transparent about the impact on the consumer: “It isn't possible to absorb these costs in any segment because the hike is simply too high. We expect prices to stabilise at 40- to 45-percent higher than last year.”
Despite the global uncertainty, Asus’s confidence in India remains unshaken. Su traces this back to 2018, when the company decided to stop treating India as a secondary market.
“Previously, brands assumed India only wanted entry-level products and would wait months to launch the latest tech here,” Su recalls. The turning point was the launch of the Zenbook Pro Duo, a dual-screen laptop priced at almost Rs 90,000. “I was nervous, but India proved to be the second-largest market in the world for that product, outselling China and the US. That was a wake-up call...India is not just an entry-level market.”
Today, that philosophy has evolved into a 360-degree retail and service blitz. Asus has moved beyond its 324 exclusive stores and 25 ROG zones to reach 600 of India’s 788 districts. The next frontier is the taluka.
“Our goal is to take these products beyond metros to all 788 districts of India,” Su says. “We are now moving into the 'taluka’ level, aiming to cover 50 percent of India's 6,000 plus talukas in the next two years.”
This expansion isn't just about sales. It’s about true premiumisation. Su points to Asus’ new service model as proof: “We are the first IT company in India to offer on-site service for accessories. If your 500-rupee mouse fails...we send an engineer to your home. That is real premiumisation.”
Asus likens buying a premium laptop to buying a car, and it is setting out to deliver a sales experience on lines that are close, if not entirely similar, to buying a luxury vehicle. Su reiterates that premium does not necessarily point to the highest-end product featuring top-tier build, display, or chip. Looking at its portfolio, most of its high-tech gear is already trickling down to more affordable price points, be it the new Ceraluminum chassis which allows the engineers to explore new colours and finishes or the use of AMOLED panels and making it standard across price points. Asus is also among the first few brands to move its machines to Intel’s latest Panther Lake chips.
As the industry shifts toward AI PCs, Asus is already segmenting the market into “Everyday AI” (Mainstream) and “Advanced AI” (ROG/ProArt) tiers. Su predicts that by 2028, the term “AI PC” will vanish because every PC will be one by default.
In this changing landscape, even the entry of new competitors like the Apple MacBook Neo is apparently a win-win situation. While many brands might fear a more affordable MacBook, Asus is, in fact, welcoming the competition. “We respect Apple as a strong competitor. However, with PC penetration in India at only 12 percent, we see Apple’s entry into this segment as a positive contributor to growing the overall market,” Su concludes. “All PC brands working together will help increase India's PC penetration faster. That is how I view the MacBook Neo – it's a positive signal for the industry.”
