Apple CEO Tim Cook is a man on a mission in India and he has finally recognised the country as a viable market, something Steve Jobs refused to do. Cook landed in Mumbai on May 17 and one of the first things he did was meet the Ambanis, who will be launching Reliance Jio very soon. Jio will change phone networks across the country.
Cook is not here to create massive jobs for the Indian market or to partake in a Make in India venture. He is here to drum up business for Apple. The numbers tell the story. In 2015-16, Apple’s sales plummeted. At the same time, the company’s sales went up by 56 percent in India.
India is the third largest smartphone market in the world, but experts state that statistics show that the country may overtake second placed United States by 2017. The market here has been growing five times faster than China, which is in pole position. Cook also realizes that China’s smartphone manufacturers, like Xiaomi, OnePlus and Huawei have a strong standing in India, a hold that Apple may want to break. The fact is that Apple, if they have competitive pricing, can certainly carve out a slice of the pie for themselves. Tim Cook must be licking his lips, and not because he’s gorging on good Indian food!
