'Doors are now open' for Apple to expand retail presence into India

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014


Apple could open its first retail stores in India, the second most populous country in the world, now that the government allows full ownership of single-brand retail stores by foreign companies.



Citing a senior official in India's Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, livemint.com reported this week (via iPhoneHacks) that Apple has been in discussions with the government for some time to bring its retail stores to India. The company previously attempted to open a technical support center in India in 2006, but eventually backed off those plans.



Now that the policy change has occurred, though, the unnamed official said "the doors are now open" for Apple to bring its highly successful retail stores to India.



Though there are not currently any Apple stores in India, the iPhone maker does have reseller deals with chains like Imagine and iStore. Most of Apple's retail stores are in the U.S., though it has expanded in recent years the U.K., France, Germany, Japan and China.



India has an estimated population of over 1.2 billion people, placing it just behind the 1.3 billion who live in China, the world's largest country by population. China has become an extremely important part of Apple's growth, as the company's entire product line has become popular in the East Asian country.











Last week's attempted launch of the new iPhone 4S in China drew huge crowds, but also caused such a stir that Apple was prompted to postpone the launch of its latest smartphone after the masses became too unruly. The company's official retail stores in Beijing and Shanghai opted not to sell the iPhone 4S last Friday, though Apple's carrier partners and authorized resellers did initiate sales.



The iPhone 4S went on sale in India, the world's second-largest mobile market, last November. By all accounts, that launch went off without a hitch, as Apple continued to roll out the iPhone 4S to new countries in its fastest international expansion ever.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 45
    The Indian market potential is five years away for Apple. Establish a beachhead, for sure, but don't expect too much in the next couple of years from India. Very PC-centric, and 3G is not even really rolled out, so wireless data has a long ways to go. Wifi penetration is low too.



    China is where Apple is going gangbusters in the next five.
  • Reply 2 of 45
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by anantksundaram View Post


    The Indian market potential is five years away for Apple. Establish a beachhead, for sure, but don't expect too much in the next couple of years from India. Very PC-centric, and 3G is not even really rolled out, so wireless data has a long ways to go. Wifi penetration is low too.



    China is where Apple is going gangbusters in the next five.



    But even if this ads only 1-2% of the indian people to buying anything from Apple, this will be huge.
  • Reply 3 of 45
    Apple's official presence doesn't really matter that much here in India as the re-sellers are doing an excellent job. I haven't heard from anyone ever that they could not buy an Apple product because there was no official store around. iPods, iPads etc are available at so many outlets that I am not really sure if official stores are even needed. As far as genius bars etc are concerned, re-sellers are doing that too. I myself have used it a couple of times.



    The one thing which Apple could do though is to lower the price of iPhone in India. It currently sells for about US$825 (unlocked).
  • Reply 4 of 45
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member
    I don't think that Apple should concentrate too much on India. The average salary there is extremely low. Isn't Android doing ok in India, because the devices are dirt cheap? There might be a shitload of people in India, but only a few of them will be able to buy Apple's devices.



    India is where they also made and released a $35 Android tablet. I'm sure that's a technological marvel and a real pleasure to use.
  • Reply 5 of 45
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post


    I don't think that Apple should concentrate too much on India. The average salary there is extremely low. Isn't Android doing ok in India, because the devices are dirt cheap? There might be a shitload of people in India, but only a few of them will be able to buy Apple's devices.



    India is where they also made and released a $35 Android tablet. I'm sure that's a technological marvel and a real pleasure to use.





    You can get free phone 4 and 4s in emerging markets. First you get them hooked on the phone then the imac
  • Reply 6 of 45
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Just_Me View Post


    You can get free phone 4 and 4s in emerging markets. First you get them hooked on the phone then the imac



    The data plans and the subscription for iPhones usually costs a lot more than for other phones in certain places.



    Which "emerging markets" offers a free iPhone 4S? Do you have any link?
  • Reply 7 of 45
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by anantksundaram View Post


    The Indian market potential is five years away for Apple. Establish a beachhead, for sure, but don't expect too much in the next couple of years from India. Very PC-centric, and 3G is not even really rolled out, so wireless data has a long ways to go. Wifi penetration is low too.



    China is where Apple is going gangbusters in the next five.



    I suspect we may see a larger level of success and sooner in India than you envisage. Apple wouldn't have gone to all this trouble without having some indications of that IMHO.



    Meanwhile I'm glad the Indian Government relented on their rules regarding foreign companies owning their business in India 100%. That was so 'how not to encourage investment' in your country!
  • Reply 8 of 45
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Just_Me View Post


    You can get free phone 4 and 4s in emerging markets. First you get them hooked on the phone then the imac



    wrong post sorry replying meant to the guy you replied to but I can't I banned him!
  • Reply 9 of 45
    It will be a great move from apple, and a better still for the Indian consumers. This will trigger of a chain reaction where in other companies will try to get their retail outlets of their own. Which in turn will reduce the middle men and greater benefits for the consumer. I do agree to one of the messages posted that India is more of a Windows PC markets but the post PC devices like iPad and iPhone have really caught on as consumers are very much aware of the Apple brand and their products especially the iPad and iPhone. Affordability of the indian consumers have increased manifold and I am surprised about the ignorant comments that Indian cannot afford them, yeah we do look for a good deal but most of them do look for a good product too. I dont think Apple will be even considering opening the store if they dont think they have a market out here.



    If it happens more power to the Indian consumers. Personally I will be thrilled.
  • Reply 10 of 45
    Well a few points about indian Telecom Regulations -



    1. Locking for contracts is not allowed by Indian Telecom Regulators. So, the iPhone cannot be sold subsidized.



    2. Apple products always cost about 20-25% higher in india than rest of the world. iPhone is the costliest phone in india. It is not true for other cellphone manufaturers like samsung or nokia. Apple seem to love pricing themselves out here.



    3. Most people who can afford apple products know people who are living in US and/or visiting there, so a whole lot of them just get it from the US for the lower price even though they can already get it in most cities in india. The price differential is worth it. (I know, me and a bunch of my colleagues here all have apple products and none of them are bought in india).



    Availability was never the problem, price was. All this will do is probably provide a good looking landmark in mumbai / new delhi, which will increase the visibility of apple in india.



    Currently, apple products have more snob value here than usability value, due to their price.
  • Reply 11 of 45
    Finally...



    Its about time Apple starts a Store in India...Hope its comes to Bangalore First



    IPAD 2 was sold well in iMagine stores here in bangalore..(i got one from US)



    Also now Rupee depreciated against Dollor considerably compare to whats it 6 months back people will buy things here only
  • Reply 12 of 45
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post


    I don't think that Apple should concentrate too much on India. The average salary there is extremely low. Isn't Android doing ok in India, because the devices are dirt cheap? There might be a shitload of people in India, but only a few of them will be able to buy Apple's devices.



    India is where they also made and released a $35 Android tablet. I'm sure that's a technological marvel and a real pleasure to use.



    Phones like S2 are selling here for $650..so i dont think people not ready to shell money for things..



    but the important factor is Not many people here in india shown interest in Smart phone even a year back...i am working in a MNC with atleast 250 Mech Engineers i can see barely 4/5 iPhone 3GS/4S and Few Galaxy S2...rest of us are still with Nokia..



    major issue is a Ananth wrote Penetration of 3G..without a faster Ineternet connection whats the use of Smartphone?
  • Reply 13 of 45
    richlrichl Posts: 2,213member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post


    I don't think that Apple should concentrate too much on India. The average salary there is extremely low.



    Much like China then.



    India's population is over 1 billion. There's plenty of people in India making good money.
  • Reply 14 of 45
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Nithinku View Post


    Phones like S2 are selling here for $650..so i dont think people not ready to shell money for things..



    but the important factor is Not many people here in india shown interest in Smart phone even a year back...i am working in a MNC with atleast 250 Mech Engineers i can see barely 4/5 iPhone 3GS/4S and Few Galaxy S2...rest of us are still with Nokia..



    major issue is a Ananth wrote Penetration of 3G..without a faster Ineternet connection whats the use of Smartphone?



    It seems as if Android has pulled ahead of Nokia/Symbian in India.



    "From an operating system (OS) perspective, Android overtook Symbian to emerge as the top platform in India for the first time, with a share of 42.4% of the smartphone market," G Rajeev, lead analyst at IDC.



    http://articles.timesofindia.indiati...-windows-phone



    I don't really think that many people who buy Android phones are actually using them as smartphones. All of the evidence shows that, in terms of Android's web presence.
  • Reply 15 of 45
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post


    It seems as if Android has pulled ahead of Nokia in India.



    "From an operating system (OS) perspective, Android overtook Symbian to emerge as the top platform in India for the first time, with a share of 42.4% of the smartphone market," G Rajeev, lead analyst at IDC.



    http://articles.timesofindia.indiati...-windows-phone



    I don't really think that many people who buy Android phones are actually using them as smartphones. All of the evidence shows that, in terms of Android's web presence.



    you are right in saying Majority of android users are not own Smartphones...but even in Smart phones Samsung leads Apple mainly because Price and its availabilty...



    Now only Apple release new phones within couple of Months..earlier you have to wait more than 7/8 months..



    Nokia lost mainly because of Cheap Chinese phones...earlier they used to control more than 65/70 % of Feature phone category...but Now Indian Brands like Micromax provides fetaures of Nokia phones at 1/3rd price
  • Reply 16 of 45
    flaneurflaneur Posts: 4,526member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Nishanth View Post


    It will be a great move from apple, and a better still for the Indian consumers. This will trigger of a chain reaction where in other companies will try to get their retail outlets of their own. Which in turn will reduce the middle men and greater benefits for the consumer. I do agree to one of the messages posted that India is more of a Windows PC markets but the post PC devices like iPad and iPhone have really caught on as consumers are very much aware of the Apple brand and their products especially the iPad and iPhone. Affordability of the indian consumers have increased manifold and I am surprised about the ignorant comments that Indian cannot afford them, yeah we do look for a good deal but most of them do look for a good product too. I dont think Apple will be even considering opening the store if they dont think they have a market out here.



    If it happens more power to the Indian consumers. Personally I will be thrilled.



    Thank you for a dose of realism. Your statement about the ignorant comment -- I agree that it's ignorant, but I'm not surprised -- because the poster Apple ][ is a professional troll who posts here to make Apple fans look bad. He pretends to be a huge devoté of Apple products while he insults every "other" group that comes up in any discussion, hoping to provoke an ugly reaction of ethnic/class based back-and-forth, just to poison the forum.



    He himself is the "other" on a grand scale. I find him shameful and embarrassing, and wish he could be banned. He can't be shamed into reforming, otherwise he would have long ago.
  • Reply 17 of 45
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Flaneur View Post


    Thank you for a dose of realism. Your statement about the ignorant comment -- I agree that it's ignorant, but I'm not surprised -- because the poster Apple ][ is a professional troll who posts here to make Apple fans look bad. He pretends to be a huge devoté of Apple products while he insults every "other" group that comes up in any discussion, hoping to provoke an ugly reaction of ethnic/class based back-and-forth, just to poison the forum.



    He himself is the "other" on a grand scale. I find him shameful and embarrassing, and wish he could be banned. He can't be shamed into reforming, otherwise he would have long ago.



    Everything that I've written so far is true, and I cite facts to back it up.



    I claimed that Android is big in India, and I proved it. I also claimed that Android users don't use their phones as smartphones and some other poster from India here agrees with that and mentions their lack of 3g networking.



    The iPhone is very expensive in India, that's another fact also corroborated by Indian posters. I also claimed that the average yearly wage in India is very low, and that's why they're all jumping on Android phones which they are actually using as dummy phones. Do you consider yourself an informed or vaguely intelligent person? Are you aware of what the average income is there?



    Some people here seem to have a problem with facts and reality, that's your problem. Instead of showing your ignorance and bias towards a poster that you don't like, prove me wrong if you disagree with anything that I've written. Don't post you ignorant theories about me when everything that I've written is true and I also back it up with links and facts. You should be banned for being so shamefully ignorant, not to mention utterly embarrassing and highly pathetic.
  • Reply 18 of 45
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post


    The data plans and the subscription for iPhones usually costs a lot more than for other phones in certain places.



    Which "emerging markets" offers a free iPhone 4S? Do you have any link?



    china unicom and orange offer free iphone 4s
  • Reply 19 of 45
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Just_Me View Post


    china unicom and orange offer free iphone 4s



    Yeah, I think I remember reading an article about that here a while back when the iPhone 4S was being released in China.



    Even though, it's "free", I can't really say that it's cheap though, as the customer still ends up paying quite a bit to use their phone.



    A 32-gigabyte iPhone 4S on a three-year contract would cost around $45 per month, while a 16-gigabyte on a two-year contract would cost approximately $60, reports Bloomberg.
  • Reply 20 of 45
    flaneurflaneur Posts: 4,526member
    I'll quote one word from your original post, Apple ][ -- "shitload."



    I don't have a problem with facts and reality, just with barbaric xenophobia. Fake barbaric xenophobia for pay is even worse.
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