Acer Aims to Make AI PCs Accessible to Every Indian, Not Just the Elite
AI PCs have begun reshaping the future of computing; however, they still remain bracketed in the premium sector of the market. In India, major players HP, Dell, Lenovo, and Acer are working hard to reduce prices, making these futuristic devices accessible to a broader audience in the coming years. Acer India, for instance, is taking a multi-pronged approach to stay ahead in the race. The company is betting on affordability, local manufacturing, and deep partnerships with tech giants like Intel, AMD, Qualcomm, and NVIDIA to offer AI devices across price segments, even as rivals like Lenovo and Dell double down on their own AI PC ambitions. “We’re not just participating in the AI PC revolution—we are shaping it,” Sudhir Goel, chief business officer at Acer India, told AIM. “While many players are focusing exclusively on the premium segment, Acer is committed to democratising access to AI.” Democratising AI What qualifies as an AI PC, according to Microsoft, is the ability to deploy Copilot+. For this, Microsoft requires manufacturers to integrate at least 16 GB of memory, a 256GB SSD, and an NPU that can process a minimum of 40 TOPS, or trillion operations per second. Currently, AMD, Qualcomm Snapdragon, and Intel are offering NPU-enabled chips, with OEMs such as ASUS, Acer, Lenovo, Microsoft (Surface), HP, and others building these AI-enabled laptops. In September last year, American research firm Gartner predicted that by 2026, AI-enabled PCs would occupy 100% of the enterprise market. While this was a bold claim, a recent survey from IDC, in collaboration with AMD, revealed that various industries were indeed moving in this direction. Acer’s strategy of making AI capabilities accessible beyond high-end models involves integrating AI features not just in its premium devices but across entry-level and mid-range offerings. This is bolstered by its proprietary Acer AI Zone software that promises intuitive and optimised user experiences across devices. The top-right corner of its keyboards now has the new AcerSense key, a shortcut to Acer’s control centre. It lets you switch power modes, monitor system temperature, and manage storage with ease. The hub also includes the AI Zone, where users can explore AI tools like PurifiedVoice, AlterView, and Intel’s Stable Diffusion plugin—all in one place. “We’re working to integrate meaningful AI features into products at every price point,” Goel explained. “It’s about creating smart, practical experiences that enhance everyday life.” This vision is supported by Acer’s participation in the ‘Make in India’ initiative, which allows the company to control production costs and price its devices more competitively for Indian consumers. Acer is also exploring flexible financing options, including EMI plans and partnerships with financial institutions, to boost AI PC adoption. Meanwhile, Lenovo and HP are pushing strongly in the enterprise field to reduce costs. In an interaction with AIM, Saurabh Agarwal, COO of Lenovo India, expressed his optimism towards industries adopting AI PCs. “As AI PCs evolve, we are optimising our devices for on-device AI processing, enhancing productivity and security for enterprises and customers,” he said. “AI is expected to drive the next PC refresh cycle and act as a major growth catalyst, with these devices projected to capture 20% of the market by FY25, further fueling demand and innovation in the industry,” added Agarwal. Expanding Beyond Metros Recognising that India’s next wave of growth will come from smaller cities, Acer is making a strong push into Tier 2, Tier 3, and Tier 4 markets. The brand is increasing the number of exclusive stores, bolstering retail partnerships, and strengthening its e-commerce presence to reach users across geographies. The company is tailoring its product mix for these markets with a special focus on AI-enabled and budget-friendly devices to meet the evolving needs of consumers outside urban centres. The most affordable Copilot+ AI PC right now is Acer Swift Go 14, priced around ₹66,000, which is slightly lesser than HP’s Pavillion series at ₹69,000 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x Gen 9 at ₹76,000. Less visibly, Acer is also building muscle in the AI infrastructure space through its Altos Computing division. Altos servers and workstations are already being used for large-scale AI modelling and LLM processing, including deployments in India. “With increasing mandates for data localisation and the rise of AI research, there’s a real opportunity here,” Goel said. “We’re collaborating with Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA to optimise AI-ready server solutions for Indian enterprises, research institutions, and cloud providers.” As India’s AI ecosystem grows rapidly, Acer seems to be positioning itself not just as a device maker but as a full-stack enabler, from edge to cloud. Beyond computing, Acer is applying AI to its Acerpure line of home electronics, which includes air and water purifiers, TVs, and air conditioners. According to Goel, AI features are being used to enhance performance, efficiency, and user interaction across these appliances. “For example, our AI-driven air purifiers can adjust settings based on real-time air quality and humidity levels,” Goel said. “Our televisions will offer AI video and gaming enhancements, while air conditioners are being designed for energy-efficient, climate-responsive cooling.”
Recognising that India’s next wave of growth will come from smaller cities, Acer is making a strong push into Tier 2, Tier 3, and Tier 4 markets.
Recognising India’s next wave of growth coming from smaller cities, Acer is making a strong push into Tier 2, Tier 3, and Tier 4 markets.
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["Go", "API", "AI", "innovation", "RAG", "CuPy", "Aim", "stable diffusion", "ViT", "R"]
["AI", "Aim", "CuPy", "RAG", "R", "Go", "API", "stable diffusion", "ViT", "innovation"]
Mohit writes about AI in simple, explainable, and often funny words. He's especially passionate about chatting with those building AI for Bharat, with the occasional detour into AGI.