Apple Inc may never open retail stores in India: Here is why!

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: One of the main reasons of Apple CEO Tim Cook's recent visit to India was to see to the possibility of opening a manufacturing and retailing centre in India of the company.

And with the US tech giant having submitted a proposal for the same, it is likely that Apple might never open retail stores in India. Why?

As per reports, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has asserted that the company must comply with tough local sourcing rules.

Accoring to report in Bloomberg, Apple will not be exempted from regulations in India and that foreign single-brand retailers must buy at least 30 percent of their parts locally if they want to open outlets in the country.

Apple has no stores in the world`s second-most populous nation, instead selling iPhones through third-party retailers such as Vodafone and Airtel. It makes most of its handsets in China.

The Silicon Valley giant had reportedly applied for an exemption that allows firms bringing cutting-edge technology that cannot be easily replicated by Indian manufacturers to sidestep the rules.

"Minister Arun Jaitley decided to support the decision by India`s Foreign Investment Promotion Board that Apple will have to procure 30 percent of components locally if it wants to sell through its own retail stores," Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed sources.

The potential blow to Apple comes only days after its boss Cook toured India in what was widely seen as an extended charm offensive.

During the visit he was pictured in New Delhi using Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s gold-coloured iPhone as he launched a new version of the premier`s eponymous app.

Cook also announced an app design centre in the southern technology hub of Bangalore and a maps centre in Hyderabad, showering praise on India`s talented software developers.

India sets stringent rules for foreign retailers, seeking to encourage investment that brings in manufacturing jobs rather than simply allowing them to sell products to its potentially vast market.

India is a compelling proposition for the technology giant, with nearly a billion Indians -- among a population of 1.2 billion -- still not online, especially as sales of the iPhone slow in more saturated markets.

Yet Apple products are too expensive for the vast majority of Indians, with taxes taking the cost of a basic iPhone to almost $600.

With Agency Inputs