Apple Gets Green Light to Start Online Sales in India Thanks to Rule Change

[MacRumors]

Apple is set to start online sales of Apple products in India "within months," according to a new report from Bloomberg. Apple has not previously been able to sell its devices in India due to foreign investment rules and regulations.

India on Wednesday eased previous rules that forced foreign companies to source 30 percent of production locally, which has long blocked Apple from opening stores and selling devices directly to consumers in India. Instead, Apple has had to rely on third-party retailers to sell its devices.

Apple is now planning to begin iPhone, iPad, and Mac sales online "in the coming months," though no specific target launch date for sales was specified by Bloomberg.

Now that the rules have changed, Apple is also set to begin opening up retail stores in India in the future and already has retail locations in the works. A new store in Mumbai is in development and is likely set to open next year.

Even prior to the rule change, Apple was working with the Indian government to get permission to open up stores in India. Over the course of the last few years, Apple started manufacturing some lower-cost iPhone models in India to meet local investment requirements.

India is an important market for Apple, as it is a country where Apple devices have low penetration due to high costs from import tariffs. The changes will make Apple devices more affordable to Indian consumers and could grow Apple's footprint in the country.

Article Link: Apple Gets Green Light to Start Online Sales in India Thanks to Rule Change

 

[JosephAW]

I wonder how much money was passed under the table to various leadership before Apple got approval.
Oh well, future investment, it's good to have a backup manufacturing location just in case the trade war gets out of hand in China.

 

[Agneev]

Apple probably won't offer any discount, forcing the majority of customers to go flocking to other e-commerce sites.

 

[now i see it]

funny how the rules suddenly changed for the iPhone maker. I'm not going to assume any coercion was involved

 

[NickName99]

I actually went and read the article, but it wasn’t clear why India eased these rules, or by how much. Maybe they didn’t want to miss out on economic opportunities? Apple is already sourcing significant iPhone production in India, even if it’s not 30%.

Apple has been working on this relationship with India for years, so it’s plausible that this is just the fruit of that labor.

 

[Oblivious.Robot]

I guess it’s got something to do with the recent slowdown in Indian economy? It’s great news for Apple & IKEA too, perhaps Tesla might open shop as well.

https://economictimes.indiatimes.co...new-medical-colleges/articleshow/70878123.cms

Seem to have relaxed the norms for several sectors, but sure who’s to stop commenting about corruption & burst someone’s bubble on the fact that world doesn’t revolve around Apple.

 

[vvs14]

funny how the rules suddenly changed for the iPhone maker. I'm not going to assume any coercion was involved

Nothing was changed just for the iPhone maker as you are assuming. Rule changes are for all companies worldwide who want to operate in India. I understand why you would think money exchanged hands given the history of Indian governments, but this particular one is not a corrupt government. The economy is not doing that great right now and the government wants to help businesses, domestic and foreign, to do better. Hence the changes in rules.

 

[tito2020]

Great more scammer calls now

 

[d5aqoëp]

I wonder how much money was passed under the table to various leadership before Apple got approval.
Oh well, future investment, it's good to have a backup manufacturing location just in case the trade war gets out of hand in China.

Actually zero money was passed. This is not the old India you were used to.

 

[UnusedLoginID]

India will go the way Brazil went… big investment from Apple, zero returns. Indians who can afford iPhones already get them in the US through their friends, family, coworkers,.., here. And I’m sure prices in India will be 20% to 50% higher than in the US, making iPhones a niche market which it already has through resellers.

 

[kshitijshah]

Finally India can now expect
1. the same Genius Bar service levels as the world gets despite paying a significant premium on the iPhone for years
2. localized Siri support for Apple TV
3. HomePod introduction
4. Full range of genuine accessories
5. Hopefully better pricing with more localized manufaturing
6. The full Apple Retail experience
7. Better Apple maps
8. Global standards for Apple Care warranty with Accidental Damage Protection

Hopefully Apple with reciprocate and grab the opportunity the this liberal policy change has provided. If they cant capitalise on this no one should complain of policy being a hindrance in India

 

[pika2000]

Hopefully other Asian countries follow suit. Apple has always been at a huge disadvantage in Asia, Japan being the exception.

 

[Ramchi]

Under Indian well organised chaotic democracy, it typically takes two or three TERMS (15 years) for any reforms to get in place through archaic useless bureaucracy (lots of such Britishers left over) which is being shredded one after the other by the present regime. Once you are in, then there is no turning back! Ask Pepsi, Coke, Samsung, LG, Hyundai, Nissan, HP, Dell,....

Believe me, it is not easy to maneuver vibrant and vocal democracy like India...you can easily negotiate with a single dictator mostly luring him/her on the personal front with lavishness...