Speaking to The Times of India, Vineet Durani, Director - Windows Business Group at Microsoft India, shared that the company is looking at bringing Surface devices to India, following feedback from its current and potential customers including CxOs.
Vineet though refused to comment on any expected timelines for the launch, or any other details. This was the first such admission by him, or the company, since, in the past, Microsoft executives have categorically stated that the price-sensitive nature of the Indian market has had them avoid taking this step.
Unlike most tablets, Surface is positioned as a laptop replacement, especially for students and professionals on the move. The first-generation Surface was launched in October 2012, and since then, no model has been officially launched in India. Surface Pro 3 received great reviews, and I've seen a few enthusiasts in India using one. I recently bought a Surface 3 to upgrade from my first-generation Surface RT, which gets a lot of envious glances at coffeehouses and flights. Clearly, there are a lot of people in India who'd want to buy a Surface.
Durani further added,
We feel there's a market in India for all devices including high-end convertibles and the Surface is the perfect device to showcase Windows 10, which adapts to 2-in-1s easily with seamless switching between PC and tablet UIs.
In recent times, there have been a lot of Windows convertibles in the market – from global OEMs like Dell and HP to several low-cost ones from Indian OEMs like Micromax, iBall, and Notion Ink based on Intel reference design. While Surface is, of course, a premium device – in design and build quality - it will be left to see how it competes with the low-cost tablets and convertibles in India. Also, I'm wary of raising hopes too much since there's been no comment on timelines.
Source: The Times of India
