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Apple is still making plans to introduce its iconic offline stores in India, meanwhile, the company has now planned to first set up its own online store by the end of this year in the country. The step has been taken considering the fact that the local manufacturers can have a direct online presence in the country.
The company will debut its online store by selling iPhone SE models initially, which will be manufactured in the country. The product portfolio will expand as other models also start getting manufactured in India.
According to the two senior officials of the company, Apple’s plans for setting up an online store doesn’t require any foreign direct Investment (FDI) approval in retail as the government of India allows a company to directly sell their products online, which are manufactured locally. The company will start the assembling of iPhone models in Bengaluru by June.
One of the executives from the company said, “Apple will initially start its online store by selling iPhone SE which will be manufactured in India and will be in line with government policies. The company is hopeful to start the online store in India around Diwali.”
The company is also expected to sell some additional accessories, which will be sourced from India. According to reports, 50-55 percent of the iPhone models sold via online stores in India. So, the company has now decided not to compete on price with the online marketplaces for the products, it can sell via its own online store.
The executive further added, “Apple plans to differentiate its online store in India from marketplaces like Amazon and Flipkart by offering value-added services such as laser engraving to personalise the handset, sell models or variants which are exclusive such as a dedicated model, colour option or storage space.”
Apple globally operates its online stores in 39 countries, which also includes 20 countries, where company do not have offline stores. Talking about the offline project of the company, the brick-and-mortar offline Apple stores in India will only be introduced in a limited number of 4-5 outlets over the next 5-10 years in the country.
The limited number of offline stores is due to the fact that these stores require large areas to match up to its architectural design and comes up with iconic design, which are far and few in the country. The offline stores are expected to make their appearance in the metro cities at first.
Apple will start assembling its iPhone SE models locally, with the help of Taiwanese contract manufacturer Wistron facility in Bengaluru. The company has also made some plans to enhance the local productivity of iPhone models, and for that, it is open to making a start with its global partner Foxconn, which is already operating a couple of plants in the country.
Moreover, the company has also made plans to set up a full-fledged manufacturing unit in India, which will also include its component manufacturer base and has asked tax exemptions from the government of India for that. The government is yet to give any response upon it.
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