Computer maker Acer India bets big on tablet computer it is planning to introduce in the next 2-3 months.

“We expect that tablets will contribute significantly as we target a 20 per cent growth in our revenues in the calendar year 2011. Last year, we have registered revenues of $500 millions,” Mr S.V.S. Mani, Head (Transaction Business) of Acer India (Pvt) Ltd, said.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, he said the company would take a call on when to launch the tablet product in the country. “It should happen in the next 2-3 months,” he said.

In order to achieve 20 per cent growth, the company would increase its focus on the ‘B, C and D' cities by roping in Acer Galleries stores in these cities. “We have 750 Gallery stores in some States. We are going to expand to 10 more States, taking the number to 3,500 to 4,000,” he said.

Explaining the reason for focusing on the markets other than metros, he said people have stopped going to big cities to buy desktops, netbooks and notebooks.

“They have begun buying them in the neighbourhood. At present, buying pattern in metros and non-metros stands at 80:20. Market estimates that this would change to 40:60 in the next 3-5 years,” he said.

The notebook segment, the bread-and-butter sector for Acer, had a share of 16 per cent in the three-lakh strong notebook market in the country.

Dealer promotion

With a view to promoting Acer products in the non-metro areas, the company launched ‘Acer Gallery Premier League' in Andhra Pradesh. Of the 750 Gallery stores, the company had about 240 in the State.

Taking a cue from the cricket extravaganza Indian Premier League, the company introduced ‘score' based fete among various clusters of Galleries. Dealers would get runs (1s, 2s, 4s and 6s) based on their purchases.

To mark Ugadi (Telugu New Year Day), it plans another promotional scheme for its resellers.