Apple, which has thus far relied on retail partners and online sales in India, didn’t respond to a request for comment.
The company launched its online store in India in 2020 and its sales drive is set for a boost as it opens its first local store Tuesday in an upscale business district in the financial hub of Mumbai. Two days later, it plans to open an outlet in the capital, New Delhi.
Apple’s India sales surged during the pandemic as customers bought iPhones and iPads to work and study from home. And that momentum has continued, helped by financing and trade-in options.
Yet its base is small — just about 4% of India’s nearly 700 million smartphone users have iPhones — as the world’s second-biggest mobile market is led by cheaper local brands as well as Chinese and South Korean manufacturers. But the Cupertino, California-based company ranked No. 1 in unit sales of devices above $365 last year, according to researcher Counterpoint.
