Lenovo Group Ltd, the world's third-largest personal computer maker, said it would take three to five years to regain the healthy profit margins it had before its purchase of IBM's loss-making PC arm.

Chairman Yang Yuanqing also said at the Reuters China Century Summit that Lenovo expected to beat growth in worldwide global shipments as it branches out to cater to small businesses and consumers.

Yang expected Lenovo's net profit margins to expand from a wafer-thin 1 to 2 per cent now to pre-IBM levels, but it would take a long time as Lenovo aims to expand market share and has to fend off intensifying competition.

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