Prices for personal computers in the assemblers market have shot up by $60-$70 on Pentium II computers, and $20-$30 on Celeron- based computers. With custom duties expected to go up by 36%, as Delhi customs refuse to treat Pentium II processors and Celeron chips as integrated circuits, Intel distributors have begun charging a higher price already. Though Atul Vijayakar, Intel’s South-Asia chief says that though he is not aware of any such hike, it is inevitable if the government continues with higher duties. PC manufacturers in the organized sector, too, are wary of the hike. HCL Infosystems, Zenith and Wipro predict a price hike of $70 on Pentium and $20-$30 on Celeron. MNC brands, however, will not be affected as they import the full machine.
