‘India will continue to be a significant contributor to HP’s global revenues’, says senior HP executive

Ketan Patel is an old HP hand. He has served as the managing director of the company in India. Last year, Patel moved to a global role and is now chief operating officer, global personal systems at HP. In a recent conversation with Patel, we delved into the realm of foldable PCs, Chromebooks, and India’s market potential for HP. Here are the key takeaways from the interview.

How do you see the foldable PC market, considering HP has just entered the segment? You know, foldable phones are still at a nascent stage, not yet mainstream. Do you think buyers in a country like India are evolved enough for a foldable PC?

Patel:

Foldable phones and PCs are innovations in their early stages. They typically start as premium products, and as economies of scale kick in, they become more affordable and mainstream. In India, we have a growing number of high-net-worth individuals and tech enthusiasts who would love to showcase and use such innovative products to suit their lifestyles. While it may start in a specific bracket, the potential for foldable PCs in India is substantial. What’s even more exciting is the new use cases these form factors can bring to the table, and we’re closely listening to our customers to fine-tune our offerings in the future.

Let’s talk about the Envy Move. It is a rather fascinating product, and we take that it’s coming to India as well?

Yes, Envy is coming to India.

Envy is an excellent fit for Indian homes. In densely populated areas, where space is limited, Envy can be really useful. I think it brings in a tremendous level of new use cases in Indian homes. While it is designed for innovation or showcasing innovation, the use cases can be many in developed markets and the developed part of India, which I feel has a huge potential for a product like Envy.

HP recently announced a partnership with Google for Chromebooks. How do you see the potential of Chromebooks in India?

With our partnership with Google, we have also enhanced a lot of capabilities, especially on Chrome OS now, there are web-based applications. Also, now there are Android applications which sit on top of it. So, the use case for Chromebooks now has become much more powerful.

Can we expect Chromebooks to continue using MediaTek processors?

Yes, we plan to continue using MediaTek processors for Chromebooks.

During the pandemic, the Indian market for HP witnessed substantial growth. How do you see India’s market contributing to HP’s global revenues?

India is a strategic growth market for HP. We have a strong presence, a significant market share, and a growing footprint in India. While India’s market has already shown growth, we believe it will continue to be a significant contributor to HP’s global revenues.