As a brand, Apple has cemented itself as a mainstay in the world of smartphones, laptops, and now wearables and accessories. The brand’s love affair with India, predates its existence. It started when its co-founder, Steve Jobs, fell in love with the country and started visiting India before even establishing the brand. This week marks the completion of 25 years of the brand in India, as it gears up for the inauguration of its first official Apple stores in India.
In case you didn't know, Apple is set to open two stores in India. The first is in Mumbai and is opening on April 18, and the second is in Delhi set to open on April 20. This comes on the back of the rising affinity of the Indian populous towards the brand. That mainly comes from iPhones and MacBooks having a sense of ownership-pride attached to them.
Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, commented on the completion of this milestone and said, “At Apple, our mission is to enrich lives and empower people around the world.” He added, “India has such a beautiful culture and an incredible energy, and we’re excited to build on our long-standing history — supporting our customers, investing in local communities, and working together to build a better future with innovations that serve humanity.”
After years of importing its iPhones from its main manufacturing hub, China, in 2017, Apple began manufacturing phones in India in 2017. This move was welcomed with a lot of excitement both by the government and the fans of the brand. While it has been successful in many ways, there have been a few hiccups along the way. A Financial Times article published in February this year revealed that about half the Apple iPhone housings that were made in India were rejected during quality checks.
While this may seem like a major hit to India’s relationship with Apple as a whole, there are ways in which amends can be made. And, I am sure that the brand, and its associates in India would have already set the ball rolling on the fixes that need to be made to get things back on track. India, as a market and manufacturing hub, still has a lot to offer to Apple. It will be interesting to see how the relationship between one of the biggest personal electronics markets and one of the biggest personal electronics brands shapes up in the future.