New Delhi: Government of India has turned down a request by smartphone giant Apple seeking its nod to sell refurbished iPhones in the country.
According to a senior government official, the US company's application was rejected on grounds that India is in-principle against allowing import and sale of second-hand phones to prevent dumping of hazardous electronic waste.
To tap into the booming smartphone business in India, Apple had last year sought government's clearance to import and sale its refurbished iPhones in the country. The company, which is in early talks with the Telangana government to set up a new technology development facility in Hyderabad, was also planning to renovate used mobiles shipped from China.
Last year, a similar request by Apple was turned down by the Environment Ministry's Technical Review Committee (TRC). The California-based company had asked for government's permission to import 1 lakh used iPhones and 2.5 lakh iPads.
The TRC had at that time rejected its request on grounds that it would add to India's e-waste and that India does not allow such imports for trading.
Handset makers in India had also opposed Apple's move arguing that the move could potentially flood the market with second hand phones.
In India, import of e-waste, regulated under the Hazardous Wastes Rules 2008, is allowed only to actual users for reuse, recycling or reprocessing only after government’s approval and licence from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade.
Apple has been sharpening its focus on the world's largest democracy as it sees India 'quickly becoming the fastest growing BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) country'.
The company currently controls less than 2 percent of the Indian smartphone market.
