Skip to main content

Apple planning to support 500 Apple resellers in India, focusing on iOS devices – report

An Apple Premium Reseller store in India

Times of India has put numbers on its earlier claim that Apple was planning to open a collection of iOS-centric stores in India. It now says that Apple plans to support 500 new resellers in the country as part of a major expansion program into smaller towns and cities, where Samsung currently dominates.

Apple reportedly sold a million iPhones in India in the 12 months to September 2014, helped in part by a cheaper 8GB version of the iPhone 5c, and is said to expect sales to treble in the following 12 months following the rollout of the iPhone 6 in October … 

The source told ToI that while Apple has been pushing hard in China, its presence in India has so far been restricted to large cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Chennai.

This is in contrast to its Korean rival Samsung that dominates the Indian phone market.

“All this will change now. The company is finalizing plans to become a serious player in India, which is being seen as a strategic and one of the most promising markets globally,” said a top company source.

Most stores are expected to be very small, in the 300-600 square foot range, but would allow for proper product demonstrations.

Apple operates through a mix of Apple Premium Resellers and Apple Shop sections within other retailers. The piece speculates that the new stores may be created as franchises of one of Apple’s two Indian distribution partners, Redington. Neither Redington nor Apple have officially commented.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

  1. mr_pandit - 9 years ago

    Purely effective step. It can be an amazing market to capture like how previously they entered China.

  2. This would also be a good way to tackle the South American market.

  3. Josh The Geek - 9 years ago

    There is an outdated Mac Pro on the left side of the picture, but what looks like a Yosemite wallpaper on the right.

  4. macearlybird - 9 years ago

    I wonder if they will stab them in the back the way they did the US Resellers once they get big enough in India and then open Apple Stores and withhold product from the resellers.

  5. Anup K Nair (@KAnupNair) - 9 years ago

    Good step, but the problem with Apple products in India is the premium one has to pay. For example, the iPhone 6 16GB variant costs Rs.53,500. This is close to $900 (~877). The iPhone 6 Plus 128GB costs a whopping ~$1350. And without any carrier subsidy, one has to shell out the entire amount if they need an iPhone. Same is the case with the Macbook’s. I wish Apple sells in India and not Resell!

Author

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


Ben Lovejoy's favorite gear