As expected, Apple Watch is now available for purchase in India. The launch of the device comes a month after Apple made its iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus available in the country. In India, Apple Watch is available from Apple’s official retail channels and starts at Rs 30,900.
Both the 38mm and 42mm models of the device are available in India. You can purchase Apple Watch in Gold, Rose Gold, Space Gray, Silver Anodized Aluminium; polished Silver or Space Black stainless steel, and 18-Carat Rose Gold and Yellow Gold (via Times of India).
The stainless steel models of Apple Watch start at 48,900 and Rs 52,900 for the 38mm and 42mm Stainless Steel Case respectively, including a white Sport Band. With a Link Bracelet, the price increases to Rs 95,900, while the Classic Buckle model comes in at Rs 60,900.
The 38mm 18-Carat Rose Gold model comes in at a hefty Rs 8.2 lakh paired with a white Sport Band, while the 42mm gold edition costs Rs 9.9 lakh and ranges to Rs 14.2 lakh. Like in the United States, Apple is also making its bands available separately, as well.
Times of India reports that the Indian government is considering relaxing local compulsory laws that currently prohibit Apple from opening wholly owned stores in the country. According to the report, Apple has been in India recently meeting with officials.
Currently, Indian trade laws prohibit companies from opening manufacturer-owned retail outlets unless a certain percentage of the manufacturing is done within the country. Should the Indian government choose to loosen these requirements, then Apple could open its own retail locations in the currently. Currently it sells it products via authorized resellers and via dedicated pop-up stores in Croma. Apple CEO Tim Cook has met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the past to discuss opening retail locations in the country and perhaps bringing with it a portion of its manufacturing.
India is a market of growing interest for Apple, as growth in the country is currently outstripping that of China.
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I am from India… And the Apple Watch is not available at any of the authorised Apple resellers here yet… Everyone says that the watch will be available in a matter of a week from now… There isn’t even official confirmation of the pricing even on Apple India website… I guess they just declared that it is launched in India without actually launching it…. Quite disappointing really… Especially after having to wait for 7 months post initial release…
Hmm…you may be right that there isn’t much information but I see good marketing opportunity being taken advantage of by trying to launch right before Diwali.
I am from India… I have contacted all the Official Apple resellers and even the distribution partners… No one has availability of the apple watch just yet… Everyone says it may take 7 – 10 days to get Apple watch models… There isn’t even official confirmation of the pricing on the Apple India website… It is quite disappointing really… Especially after having to wait for nearly 7 months after international launch… I guess Apple just launched the watch in India for namesake without any inventory being sent down here beforehand…
apple is so wrong in the india policy wants higher sales does not support directly in any services. News, Maps of no use. No direct after sales service and one of the most costliest iPhones in the world. Great fan of Apple products but genuinely disappointed by the step motherly treatment
While that is largely true, I don’t think it’s intentional. While selling products one has to cater to the largest market needs first. Some things are changing, in the last 4 quarters in every earnings call Tim Cook has mentioned the growth in India and wants to enter India. We should also acknowledge that indian market is different and policies very strict not to mention the currency variations. But there are small start. If u see the transliteration keyboard in iOS 9….it’s one of the most innovative keyboard I have used, I have started typing all my messages in local language.
India is an experiment of course as it’s one of the poorest countries on the planet. Hardly a great market for upscale anything apart from the handful their with money but most of them left India or shop in Dubai anyway. I think Apple is right to be very cautious about India, the red tape is legendary, the market protection smothers any business looking to invest and the government there is prone to changing path on a dime. It’s also why so many leave… Even Bangalore call centres are closing to move off to the Philippines. India is such a conundrum that Modi got cheers and more travelling the US, but his audience was all people who India took citizenship from after they decided to leave, obviously because they couldnt get what they wanted there. It’s kind of perverse, the ones that love Modi the most are corrupt cronies in India and those who gave up on the country and revoked their citizenship. But most of all ask why those people left. It’s a corrupt third world country with crappy infrastructure and a lack of good government for decades has made it worse. Perhaps Apple Watches are the last thing to worry about if you live there.
All true but there is over a billion people even if 20% can afford products ….and this number exists its larger that some other markets in the world. More than policy restriction(which to be honest India learnt and implemented late else there is just one way out flow is money) the currency variation that is a challenge.
What gets me is that people think it’s so expensive. Windows and Android fanboys have been beating this horse for so long, but it’s not really an appreciable difference if you are not comparing a top of the line Mac with a completely hobbled PC. Not by a long shot. Android watches are cheaper, but they aren’t even in the same league as the Apple watch. As for phones, the best of the crappy rip offs can cost MORE than the genuine Apple gear. That’s ludicrous.
MSFT used to have almost all of it’s support there. They are PC users in the extreme as a result. Let’s see what happens when they pull out of India, perhaps the people will buy Apple at that point. They would be much better off, even if they do pay a LITTLE more up front.
All the ridiculous FUD about Apple stuff being more expensive is a lie. If you were to actually compare like products, they are an absolute steal by comparison to any of the rip offs (Windows OR Android) IMHO.