AI Component Shortage Pushes PC Prices to ₹70,000 in Gujarat, Sales Drop Nearly 50%

The cost of personal computers has risen sharply across Gujarat over the past six months as shortages of key components, including processors, RAM, SSDs and graphics cards, have pushed prices up two to three times, according to industry representatives.

Desktop computers that sold for around ₹40,000 until last year are now priced between ₹65,000 and ₹70,000 in Ahmedabad and other parts of the state. Computer dealers say the surge has led to a nearly 50 per cent decline in desktop sales, with laptop demand also slowing.

AI Data Centres Tighten Global Supply

According to the Ahmedabad Computer Merchant Association, the rapid expansion of AI data centres has significantly increased global demand for processors, storage devices and graphics cards, reducing supplies available for the consumer market.

The association’s secretary said AI companies require enormous volumes of chips, hard drives and processors to run their data centres. To secure supply, several firms have reportedly made advance payments covering two to three years and purchased a substantial share of manufacturers’ output.

Most computer components sold in Gujarat are imported from Taiwan, China and the Philippines. Industry representatives said imports from these countries slowed considerably over the past four to five months and have only recently begun to recover, further straining availability.

Rising Costs Hit Consumers

The shortages have driven up the prices of processors, Random Access Memory (RAM), Solid State Drives (SSDs) and Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), making even entry-level desktop computers significantly more expensive.

Students pursuing information technology and related courses have been among the hardest hit, with high-performance gaming and workstation PCs now costing between ₹1.5 lakh and ₹3 lakh.

Dealers said businesses, educational institutions and salaried employees are increasingly postponing purchases because of higher prices, contributing to the slowdown in sales.

Why AI Is Driving Prices Higher

AI data centres require massive computing infrastructure to train and run AI models. According to industry representatives, a single AI data centre can store around 100 petabytes (roughly 100,000 terabytes) of data.

These facilities rely on the same core hardware used in personal computers, including processors, SSDs, hard drives and GPUs. As AI companies purchase these components in bulk, supplies available to retailers have tightened, pushing up prices for consumers.