Apple is set to open retail stores in India next month, with rules changed

With the rules changed, Apple to make their devices more affordable for Indian consumers. Apple, which alongside Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Facebook considers one of the Tech Giants, is planning to launch their first online store in India next month, according to a new report.

India has always been at the forefront of the smartphone market. This is what made Apple Inc. to the launch of the first ever online store in the fast growing smartphone market in India.

A person (who asked not to be named discussing confidential plans) with knowledge of the matter has said that the online store will come into effect just before the festive Dussehra-Diwali spending season.

Anyway, the current Apple customers and those who want to use it in the future will welcome this initiative, which is due to be released next month.

As foreign companies have restrictions, 30% of production must be available locally. Therefore, sales of Apple products are limited to third-party resellers in India.

India simplified those regulations in August 2019, keeping Apple from selling its products in first-party outlets and an online Apple Store.

The plan was to launch online sales within months after the rules were changed, but the plan was shelved due to Covid-19 pandemic which put down the global health sector in crisis.  

TechCrunch first announced in January that Apple will open an online Apple Store in India, beginning in the third quarter of 2020 with official direct sales of iPhones, iPads, Macs and more in the nation.

Now with rules changed, Apple is also set to begin opening retail stores in India in the future.

According to the reports, a new store is scheduled to open next year in Mumbai and Apple is looking for a site in Bangalore near Minsk Square for their second Indian online shop.

Even prior to the rule change, Apple was trying to seek permission from Indian government to open up stores in India.

Over the past few years, Apple has been selling low-cost iPhone models in India to meet local investment needs.  

Due to the high cost of import tariffs, Apple’s products were not affordable to the common people. However, the companies believes that the change in rules will lead to a change among customers.