With India all set to become the second biggest smartphone market after China in 2017, American smartphone giant Apple is exploring options to start manufacturing its products in the southeast Asian country.
According to media reports, Apple is in talks with the government for the possibility of manufacturing its products including iPhones and iPads in India.
An official familiar with the development said that the California-based company had last month sent a letter to the government outlining its plans for making its products in the country.
The company is believed to have sought financial incentives from the government to move ahead and officials have held several round of parleys with senior Trade Ministry authorities in recent weeks.
“Apple wants to emulate its China model in India. The company wants financial incentives, which the concerned government departments are looking into,” an official linked to the matter said.
Also there are chances that Apple might open its stores in the country after it starts making its products here, New York-based business journal, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The smartphone giant currently sells its devices through Indian distribution companies and retailers.
The move comes months after Apple's CEO Tim Cook's failed to convince Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allow his company to sell its refurbished phones into the Indian market.
The company had in January earlier this year reportedly sought permission from the government to open its stores. But it couldn’t become reality due to norms which mandates a company to purchase a minimum of 30 percent of manufacturing materials from vendors in India after a period of three years.
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