Apple appears to be eyeing a fair share of the festive sales in India this year as the iPhone maker is planning to make its long-planned online store in the country a reality soon, the media reported.
While there has been no official confirmation yet from the company, a Bloomberg report on Tuesday said Apple is preparing to open the online store in the country as early as next month.
Soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet decided to ease the 30 percent local sourcing norm in single-brand retail (SBRT) last year, Apple told IANS that the company was eager to serve Indian consumers “online and in-store with the same experience and care that Apple customers around the world enjoy.”
The earlier requirement for foreign companies to source 30 percent of production locally was believed to be the primary reason why Apple chose to sell its products in India through third-party sellers for this long.
Apple had originally planned to start online sales within months of removing this restriction, but the COVID-19 pandemic reportedly played its part in delaying those plans, MacRumors reported.
Apple, which has already started manufacturing certain iPhone models in India, has reportedly already worked out locations for its retail stores in the country as well.
TechCrunch first reported in January that Apple would open an online store in India to start official direct sales of its devices in the third quarter this year.
Apple is likely to open its first physical store in Mumbai next year.
Bullish on its growth in India, Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly said in February that the company is set to open its first branded retail store in the country in 2021. Apple currently has third-party reseller outlets to sell its range of devices in the country.
The plan for opening owned stores will certainly help Apple in giving a controlled experience of its devices and services as it intends and designed them to be in the country.
(With inputs from IANS, Bloomberg, TechCrunch, MacRumors)
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