Following a focus on expanding its presence in the greater China area, sources speaking with NDTV Gadgets have confirmed Apple is looking to increase its foothold in India as well through the launch of a new retail store program. The new initiative -- dubbed the Authorized Mobility Resellers program -- will reportedly see the company open 500 retail store locations across 12 cities in India.

apple_store_genius_bar_official
The stores will showcase a heavier focus on Apple's mobile offerings, like the iPhone and iPad, along with "related third-party accessories." Apple has already signed up over 100 partners it wants to work with on the AMR program and has even begun to earmark specific locations it wants for the new retail sites. The company will also allow the program to discount iPhones below retail price, according to the information gained from NDTV Gadgets.

Apple products are rarely sold at a discount across the world and there was a time when India was pretty much the same. However, in recent years Apple has changed its distribution model and has been happy to turn a blind eye to retailers discounting the iPhone, MacBook Air, and other products as it looks to gain marketshare. NDTV Gadgets has learnt that Apple will follow a similar model with AMR partners, which means they will be able to sell below MRP.

Apple will hire a contractor to be sure that all of the sites adhere to the company's strict guidelines regarding size and design, but afterwards the company will hand back over reigns to the third-party resellers it's partnering with to operate and run the stores. The exact timeline of the AMR program remains unclear, however, with no word from Apple on whether its presence in the country could be seen as early as this year or not.

Top Rated Comments

droidgod Avatar
109 months ago
unlikely, majority of the population is in poverty
good joke.. yeah unlike china which has 1 billion plus billionaires...:rolleyes:
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jayducharme Avatar
109 months ago
This could be huge for Apple. After China, India is probably their largest potential market.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 16 4 Web Push

Apple Confirms Governments Using Push Notifications to Surveil Users

Wednesday December 6, 2023 5:06 am PST by
Unidentified governments are surveilling smartphone users by tracking push notifications that move through Google's and Apple's servers, a US senator warned on Wednesday (via Reuters). In a letter to the Department of Justice, Senator Ron Wyden said foreign officials were demanding the data from the tech giants to track smartphones. The traffic flowing from apps that send push notifications...
iOS 17

iOS 17.2 Will Add These 12 New Features to Your iPhone

Friday December 1, 2023 12:19 pm PST by
iOS 17.2 has been in beta testing for over a month, and it should be released to all users in a few more weeks. The software update includes many new features and changes for iPhones, including the dozen that we have highlighted below. iOS 17.2 is expected to be released to the public in mid-December. To learn about even more features coming in the update, check out our full list. Journal ...
airpods pro 2 pink

Apple Releases New AirPods Pro 2 Firmware

Tuesday December 5, 2023 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware update for both the Lightning and USB-C versions of the AirPods Pro 2. The new firmware is version 6B34, up from the 6B32 firmware introduced in November. Apple does not provide details on what features might be included in the refreshed firmware beyond "bug fixes and other improvements," so it is unclear what's new in the update, but prior software releases ...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

'All-Screen' iPhone Under-Display Camera Enters Development

Wednesday December 6, 2023 2:03 am PST by
Apple's Korean suppliers have begun developing smartphone under-display cameras (UDC), paving the way for the first iPhone with a true "all-screen" appearance. According to The Elec, LG Innotek has entered the preliminary development of the UDC, which sits under the display and does not result in a visible hole in the panel when the camera is not in use. A UDC differs from a typical front ...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 May Reuse Existing iPhone 14 Battery

Wednesday December 6, 2023 1:17 pm PST by
Recently, MacRumors has received details on the battery currently being tested on the upcoming fourth-generation iPhone SE, and the information corroborates previous findings in relation to the device. The iPhone SE 4, known by its device identifier D59, is expected to use the exact same battery found in the base model iPhone 14. Partially assembled prototypes of the next iPhone SE have been ...
12

Apple to Launch Two iPad Air and Two OLED iPad Pro Models Early Next Year

Wednesday December 6, 2023 9:53 am PST by
To boost falling iPad sales, Apple has a major refresh planned for the iPad lineup in early 2024, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple plans to debut new iPad Air and iPad Pro models, both of which will feature notable changes. The iPad Air will come in two sizes like the iPad Pro for the first time. The smaller model will continue to measure in at 10.9 inches, but the larger version...
New iOS 17

iOS 17.2 Release Notes: All New Features for Your iPhone

Wednesday December 6, 2023 7:17 am PST by
Apple has shared the full release notes for iOS 17.2, which is in the final stage of beta testing and should be released to the public next week. iOS 17.2 includes a long list of new features and changes, including a Journal app, spatial video recording on iPhone 15 Pro models, several improvements to the Messages and Weather apps, a Favorite Songs playlist in Apple Music, and more. iOS...
magsafe blue 2

iOS 17.2 Brings Qi2 Support to iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 Models

Tuesday December 5, 2023 11:04 am PST by
The iOS 17.2 update that Apple is set to release to the public in the near future will bring support for the next-generation Qi2 wireless charging standard to the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models. Qi2 was mentioned in the release notes for the RC version of the update that came out today. With the addition of support for the new standard, iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models will work with Qi2...