Tim Cook, who is currently in Beijing, is headed on to India tomorrow, reports Reuters. Sources say that he is due to meet with Prime Minister Modi, who he last met in September back in the US (above).
One item on the agenda is likely to be India’s reported rejection of Apple’s request to sell used iPhones in the country …
Apple chief executive Tim Cook will visit India this week and meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the second leg of his Asian tour, two sources familiar with the matter said, as the company seeks to revive sluggish iPhone sales.
Apple had hoped that used iPhone sales would be a good way to grow its market share from its current 2% in a country where 80% of phones cost less than $150. Its iPhone Upgrade Program in the United States provides the company with a good source of used handsets. However, the government was said to be planning to turn down the request, and Cook will undoubtedly be lobbying for a change of heart.
Modi is keen to bring tech jobs into the country, and the two previously discussed the possibility of Apple moving some of its manufacturing to India. It was reported earlier this month that Foxconn plans to build a $10B iPhone plant in the country, opening in around 18 months.
Apple is reportedly already set to be granted approval to open official retail stores in India for the first time, after so far selling only through third-party resellers. The company has ambitious expansion plans, including a Fifth Avenue-style flagship store,
