Apple has been denied the request to import and sell refurbished iPhones to the world’s second largest mobile population, a telecommunications ministry official told Bloomberg on Tuesday.
With India inc. heavily pushing “Make In India”, the rejection could simply be rebellion by competition brands who do not want Apple to gain foothold by selling cheaper refurbished phones. Companies started a public campaign against the effort, arguing that such a move would trigger a flood of used electronics while defeating the government’s Make-in-India program to encourage local manufacturing.
India is one the largest smartphone markets in the world, However, Apple has only been able to capture 2% stake in this ever growing region. This is reportedly due to the high prices and less availability of Apple products. Refurbished iPhone sales would have allowed Apple to pentrate a lower segment of the market which would have drastically improved sales and market share for Apple.
Apple is also seeking permission to open its own stores, and drive sales up for the iphone by offering specail Apple financing and deals, as they would in other markets.
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