Eddy Cue promises India Apple Pay, teases ‘future stuff that we haven’t talked about’ in TV
Apple looks likely to get green light on retail stores in India; may get tax-breaks
Apple’s long-standing request to open its own retail stores in India looks likely to be approved by the Indian government after Chinese brand Oppo was granted permission. Apple products are currently sold locally by authorized resellers.
The Indian government only allows single-brand retail stores when at least 30% of the products sold are manufactured in the country. As the iPhone accounts for a high percentage of Apple’s sales, with the SE a popular model in India because of its relative affordability, it seems likely that the requirement will be hit thanks to local manufacturing of the model …
Indian regulator hints at forcing Apple to approve its anti-spam app after earlier refusal
Apple’s refusal to approve a government anti-spam app for use on the iPhone in India is reportedly ‘infuriating’ regulators, who are now hinting that the company could be forced into cooperating.
The government app allows customers to report cold calls and spam texts to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. Apple refused to approve it, seemingly on privacy grounds, as the app would need access to call logs …
Indian regulatory body calls Apple ‘anti-consumer’ as it refuses app to block spam calls
An Indian regulatory body has described Apple as ‘anti-consumer’ after the Cupertino company refused to approve a government Do-Not-Disturb app designed to block and report unwanted sales calls …
Apple requests tax-breaks for suppliers as it seeks to establish ‘mini-Shenzhen’ in India
Apple has asked the Indian government to extend the tax breaks it has been granted for its own operations to its suppliers. This would enable the company to move from mere iPhone assembly in India – with the actual parts still made in China – to more of a true manufacturing operation.
We described recently how Apple relies on an entire network of suppliers centred around the Chinese city of Shenzhen. Tim Cook’s discussions with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi have extended to establishing a kind of Little Shenzhen within India …
Tim Cook meets with Indian prime minister as Apple seeks permission to open retail stores
Now that local iPhone production is underway in India, with the first ‘Assembled in India’ iPhones on sale, Apple will be hoping that it has shown it can meet the required conditions to open its own retail stores in the country. Apple products are currently sold only through third-party authorised resellers.
Details have now emerged of a meeting on Sunday between Apple CEO Tim Cook and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi …
First ‘Assembled in India’ iPhones rolling out without any fanfare or price reductions as yet
The first iPhones assembled in India started reaching retail stores the day after Apple confirmed that production had begun, and are now reportedly showing up in many Indian cities. However, hopes that local production would lead to lower prices have not yet been realized …
Apple finally gets tax concessions in India after starting local iPhone production
Apple is reported to have finally succeeded in getting one of the tax concessions it had sought in return for assembling iPhones in India. The company had long been seeking a range of incentives in return for setting up an iPhone plant in the country.
Apple had originally wanted the concessions before beginning production, but decided to go ahead with or without them. Local production of the iPhone SE started earlier this month …
Latest Kantar data shows why India is so important to Apple’s future growth
India may be a small market for Apple right now, but the latest Kantar data shows why the company is placing such an emphasis on the country. While worldwide smartphone growth is just 3%, smartphone penetration in India grew by 16% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2017.
Purchase intention also shows great prospects for Apple …
Report: Apple to sell locally made iPhones online in India before opening stores
Apple has been working with the local government in India for quite a while to bring iPhone manufacturing local and initiate direct hardware sales. Now a new report claims Apple will start selling the iPhone directly in India later this year, but only certain models and only online.
Google Play Music undercuts Apple Music in India as both companies play the long game
Google Play Music’s streaming music service has launched in India, undercutting Apple Music’s dramatically discounted subscription in the country, as both companies play the long game.
Phil Schiller announces official opening of Apple’s App Accelerator in Bengaluru, India
Phil Schiller has announced the official opening of Apple’s iOS App Design and Development Accelerator in Bengaluru, India. The center is designed to provide free guidance, inspiration and one-on-one app reviews for local developers.
https://twitter.com/pschiller/status/847719929373577217
The company first promised the center back in May of last year, the company explaining then why it had chosen the location …
Indian government rejected most of Apple’s demands, but iPhone manufacturing to start anyway within 4-6 weeks
The WSJ reports that while the Indian government has rejected most of Apple’s demands for concessions, the company will go ahead with iPhone manufacturing in the country – and that production will begin within 4-6 weeks …
Report: Apple will begin iPhone assembly in India with or w/o incentives, starting with iPhone SE
India’s Economic Times reports that Apple will begin assembling iPhones in India whether or not the government agrees to the incentives it has requested. The report also supports a recent report that the location of the first plant will be in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Apple will kick off its India manufacturing plans by initially assembling 3-400,000 units of its iPhone SE model at the Karnataka plant being set up by contract manufacturer Wistron, as the maker of the iconic iPhones looks to take a deeper bite of a key market amid slowing global smartphone growth […]
A person in the contract manufacturing industry said Wistron is ready to start assembling the phones. “The duty concessions are not connected to the plant,” the person added.
Apple is said to be keen to press ahead with the plan without delay for two reasons …
Indian official welcomes Apple’s ‘initial manufacturing operations’ in Bengaluru as local iPhone production talks continue
Apple has been working with India over the past several months on plans to make iPhones in the country, and now it appears a location for manufacturing has been decided: Bengaluru. Formerly called Bangalore, Bengaluru is known as the ‘IT capital of India’ and serves as the home of Apple’s 40,000 square foot iOS app development accelerator office space.
Comment: Sales figures show importance of India as a growth market as Apple leads premium segment
If you were in any doubt why Apple was going to so much trouble to deepen its foothold in India, new figures from Counterpoint Research provide the answer. While the global smartphone market grew only 3% last year, smartphone shipments in India grew by 18%.
The growing middle class in the country also meant that, for the first time, there were no Indian brands in the top five as consumers start to spend more on their handsets. There was also good news for Apple …
iPhone manufacturing in India ‘almost a done deal’ says official after meeting with Apple
A proposal for Apple to manufacture iPhones in India in return for permission to open retail stores in the country is ‘almost a done deal’ according to a government official. His comment to the WSJ follows a meeting today between a team of Apple execs led by VP Priya Balasubramaniam and senior Indian government officials …
Foxconn won’t be primary iPhone assembler in India, says report, as Wistron slated for role
As Apple gears up to begin manufacturing iPhones in India as part of a deal to open retail stores in the country, it’s being reported that its main assembler – Foxconn – will not be the lead supplier. Instead, a company with existing smartphone manufacturing facilities in the country, Wistron, is said to have been selected by Apple as its primary supplier in India.
It’s not the first time we’ve heard iPhone-related rumors about Wistron …
Apple executives reportedly set to meet with government officials in India next week
Just a day after a pair of reports shed more light on Apple’s progress in starting a manufacturing presence in India, a new report from Reuters offers a few new details. The report claims that while some Indian officials are eager to have Apple in the country, others aren’t convinced at this point.
The most interesting tidbit, however, is that Apple executives will be meeting with Indian government officials next week to discuss plans…
India may have found creative way to offer local iPhone manufacturing incentives to Apple
It appears that the Indian government may have found a creative way to agree to Apple’s request for financial incentives to manufacture iPhones within the country – without being seen to give special treatment to one particular company. Apple had asked for a number of concessions, including a 15-year import duty on iPhone components, manufacturing equipment and consumables.
Earlier reports had described conflicts between different government departments with differing objectives. The IT and industry ministries wanted to agree to Apple’s terms, as it would be a big win to sign up the world’s largest company to its Made In India program, while the finance ministry was reluctant to lose the import duty revenue.
Two reports today suggest that the government may have found a creative way out of the impasse …
Apple again expected to begin making iPhones in India by April as new job listings emerge
Apple has long been rumored to be setting up a manufacturing presence in India, with a report most recently outlining some of the concessions Apple was seeking from the Indian government. Now, a new report from the Times of India claims that Apple will start manufacturing the iPhone in India in April of 2017, while the company has also posted a handful of job listings in the country.
Indian government about to consider Apple’s requests for manufacturing incentives – WSJ
Indian government officials are expected to meet early next week to consider the incentives Apple has requested in return for manufacturing some of its products within the country, reports the WSJ.
Apple said to be seeking relaxed labeling laws in India as it plans manufacturing presence
Apple has long been working with the Indian government to set up retail locations in the country, a task that’s rather challenging due to stringent regulation in the country. Now, The Economic Times reports that one concession Apple is fighting for in India is related labeling laws so it doesn’t have to print product info on devices.
Apple discussing Indian factories, say government officials, but seeking financial incentives
Two senior government officials have said that Apple is ‘discussing with the Indian government the possibility of manufacturing its products in the country,’ reports the WSJ. Apple is said to be seeking financial incentives in order to proceed.
Apple has been trying for some time to open retail stores in India, plans which have been stymied by a government requirement to source 30% of products locally in order to be permitted to open single-brand stores. There have long been contradictory reports that Apple may or may not be granted an exemption.
The Indian market holds massive potential for Apple for two simple reasons …