MSI has announced the local assembly of two new gaming laptop lines, the Katana and Crosshair series, powered by NVIDIA's RTX 40 and 50-series GPUs, at its manufacturing facility in Noida. This move expands the brand's "Make in India" footprint, following the 2023 introduction of locally assembled laptops, and underscores its long-term intent to cater to India's growing PC gaming market with shorter lead times and better availability.
Katana and Crosshair Series Now Locally Assembled
The latest models joining the India-made roster include the MSI Katana 15 B13V and B12V, and the MSI Crosshair 15 B12V. These laptops offer high refresh-rate displays (144Hz), up to 12th and 13th Gen Intel Core i7 processors, and RTX 4050, 4060, and 5070 graphics configurations. By assembling these models in India, MSI aims to enhance supply-chain efficiency and reduce overall costs associated with imports, particularly as demand for capable gaming laptops continues to rise beyond metropolitan cities.
All models will be available at MSI-authorised retailers, Reliance Digital, Amazon India, and the official MSI India website. While MSI hasn’t confirmed if local assembly has affected pricing, industry watchers expect it could help keep high-performance laptops more competitive in the ₹1-2 lakh segment, where the Katana and Crosshair models typically reside.
Expanding Make in India Strategy
MSI began its India assembly journey in 2023 and now locally produces a total of five gaming laptops, including the Modern 14 C13M, Modern 15 B13M, Katana 15, and Crosshair 15. These units are built in partnership with Radiant, MSI's production partner based in Noida.
The brand’s move aligns with broader government efforts to encourage electronics manufacturing in India, with several global brands, including Apple, Dell, and HP, also scaling up their local operations. For MSI, this expansion enables faster delivery timelines and the potential for customisation of future SKUs tailored to Indian gamers' preferences.
India's gaming laptop market has seen significant growth, driven by a combination of esports adoption, content creation demand, and hybrid work models. MSI has built a solid reputation in the enthusiast space, but the entry of newer brands and aggressive pricing from competitors means it will need to balance innovation with value.
By expanding its Make in India lineup to include RTX 50-series laptops, MSI is signalling confidence in the long-term health of India's gaming ecosystem—and betting that gamers here will increasingly look for high-performance options that are made closer to home.
