Ease of single-brand retail norms: Apple could soon open its first retail store in Mumbai

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With the government easing some rules for foreign brands selling products in the country, Apple is said to be readying plans to start selling devices online in India starting next year.

On August 28, the Centre Indian government has decided to relax some rules for foreign companies and has dropped the requirement to source 30 percent of production locally for opening retail stores. This could be a very positive sign for brands like Apple that have had poor sales in India due to higher pricing, courtesy import duties and taxes. 

Sources told Bloomberg that Apple would be starting its online store in India in the next few months. The company would begin selling its products like the iPhone, iPad and Mac online. The Cupertino, California-based giant is also planning to bring its retail experience to India by opening its first store in Mumbai.

This could be a massive move for Apple, which has a percent of market share in the second-biggest smartphone market. The ease of tax norms could also benefit India as the US and China-based companies are struggling with higher tariffs in the US due to the ongoing trade war.

Brands like Xiaomi and Samsung, which are amongst the top-5 smartphone brands in India, are already manufacturing their products under the ‘Make In India’ initiative. While Apple has slowly started local manufacturing for some of its iPhone models, higher pricing and duties have resulted in sluggish sales.