Apple’s journey to become a sizable player in India has been fraught with challenges so far, with the price-sensitive nature of Indian consumers making it difficult for the U.S. tech giant to make headway in the mobile-first Asian country. But that appears to be changing, as the smartphone maker makes its “Make in India” play.
Apple shakes up India’s ‘multifaceted’ OS landscape
India’s current operating system (OS) landscape can be best described as multifaceted. A recent ENV Media research noted that Android continues to lead the pack with 74.65 percent market share including desktop and tablet devices, followed by Windows with 16.17 percent overall share, while iOS and OS X combined have 3.6 percent market share, and KaiOS has 0.76 percent and “Unknown” OS has 3.91 percent.
Android devices enjoy massive popularity in India due to its cheaper price tag, not to mention that the Android OS is open, and its mobile hardware is manufactured locally, making it easier to find local tech support. The iOS, however, is looking to change this as it carves a niche market in India—one that is boosted by its growing popularity among online casino games players playing online roulette in the country.
To sustainably target the Indian market, the iPhone maker is tapping into the “Make in India” initiative set out by the central government to create domestic manufacturing capacity in areas such as electronics. Apple’s contractors Foxconn, Pegatron and Wistron have already invested almost a billion U.S. dollars in India, which “suggest India can move beyond assembly of low value models to making higher-value products,” analysts told Reuters.
Strategic changes play role in Apple’s record growth in India
Apple is on track to record $3 billion in revenue in India alone in the current fiscal year ending September, an impressive growth on the back of iPhone 12 in 2020. The release of the 5G-enabled Apple smartphone is just one of the strategic plays the tech giant has made; the company is also gearing up to open its first official store in India, after launching a dedicated online store for Apple India in late 2020. The smartphone maker has also opened facilities in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka as it attempts to reposition its image, particularly in the area of privacy by blocking access to random data tracking virtual devices like Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA).
“In the past year or so, Apple has shown an ambition to raise its sales performance in India,” ENV Media analysts said. “Besides software and price issues (key in any such decision-making), the company needs to make a consistent effort to target desi consumers. More specifically, through actual stores, service coverage, and better price offers.”
Amid the mainstream popularity of Android, it’s worth noting that Apple-branded devices remain widely represented in large urban cities like Delhi, which incidentally is also one of the states where casual online games are played most per capita, according to a separate ENV Media survey delving into “India’s richest cities and its large online gambling communities.”
“The iPhone remains a status symbol for most desi consumers, whether they possess one or have never seen one. Apple sales may be promoted by individual influencers with following in Delhi and Mumbai, for example, those already affluent and those wishing to look prosperous,” the report noted.
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