Tim Cook may move on from China as soon as tomorrow, with the Apple CEO reportedly traveling from his current location in Beijing to India. Report sources claim the second leg of his tour of Asia will take him to India for a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a second time, with the agenda likely to cover Apple's attempts to grow in India, as well as the potential for manufacturing of Apple devices within the region.
The first visit to India by Cook as head of the company, one source of
Reuters claims the trip is happening, but wasn't sure if the importing of refurbished iPhones for sale in India was a topic that would be discussed.While Apple is reportedly "
outperforming" with the iPhone in India, it is struggling to get permission from regulators to import used iPhones to sell cheaply, with opponents to the plan
complaining to the government that it does not encourage local production, among other problems.
A second source of the report suggests India wanted to know if Apple wanted to set up local manufacturing facilities for devices sold in the country. Modi's 'Make in India' push for manufacturers to create produce for the market locally could be boosted by Apple creating iPhones in the country, with the source suggesting "If they can make in China to cater to the Chinese market then they can make for Indian markets here."
It does already appear that manufacturing in India may happen soon, as reports from
last week claimed Foxconn was close to investing $10 billion to build a plant in Maharahstra. It is unclear if it will serve just the Indian market, or if it will be used to supplement existing Apple manufacturing facilities in other parts of the world.
According
to FactorDaily, the trip to India may also involve some other elements. Apple's ambitions to open its
own stores may come to fruition, with a potential announcement for three stores to be opened in the country within the next 18 months. The stores in Delhi, Bangalore, and Mumbai will each be approximately 10,000 square feet in size, with an investment of approximately $3 million to $5 million needed per location.
If it takes place, this is the second time Cook and Modi will meet together. The first was in
September last year in Silicon Valley, with discussions at that time also covering the possibility of India-based manufacturing.
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