At 25 years in India, Apple shifts gears beyond products and sales
Apple BKC in Mumbai and Apple Saket in Delhi will open doors for business this week to join an illustrious list of Apple Stores globally
Apple is preparing ambitious plans for India, starting with the opening of its first two retail stores this week, but with a wider array of products and services as it completes 25 years in the country.
Among these steps are strengthening India’s app developer space, commitment towards sustainability, community initiatives in different regions and localised manufacturing, some of the company’s top executives told HT, signalling an intent designed to strengthen its presence as well as impact.
“At Apple, our mission is to enrich lives and empower people around the world. 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,” said Tim Cook, CEO of Apple.
Apple BKC in Mumbai and Apple Saket in Delhi will open doors for business this week to join an illustrious list of Apple Stores globally, including the Apple Park Visitor Center in Cupertino, Apple Champs-Élysées in Paris, Apple Dubai Mall and Apple Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, being some of the 552 stores in 25 countries.
For Apple in India, official retail stores are the final piece of the jigsaw with strong sales and local manufacturing already in place. “Our stores are always influenced by the communities where they reside,” said Deirdre O’Brien, senior vice president of Retail at Apple.
Apple relies heavily on developers in India for the App Store. The iOS App Design and Development Accelerator in Bengaluru, since 2017, has hosted sessions for more than 15,000 developers in the country. The company works one-on-one with developers. They say India’s app developers now support more than 1 million jobs.
The App Store pay-outs for developers in India have tripled since 2018, Apple said. The company has reworked price point flexibility for developers, with 900 price points and global differential pricing for apps, to correspond with local currency and taxes.
While manufacturing has gained importance for Apple in India, the company has strict targets in place for sustainability and environment. These tie in with its commitment to be 100% carbon neutral for its supply chain and products by the year 2030. These will include operations in India, as well as the Indian manufacturing supply chain.
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Recycled materials are an important link in the chain. Last week, Apple announced they’ll switch to the use of fully recycled cobalt for all batteries by 2025. These would include battery packs for all iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch.
A similar target has also been set for the use of entirely recycled rare earth elements to make the magnets in Apple devices, and all Apple-designed printed circuit boards will use fully percent recycled tin soldering and gold plating across products.
“From the recycled materials in our products, to the clean energy that powers our operations, our environmental work is integral to everything we make and to who we are,” said Cook.
Apple is already using the world’s first direct carbon-free aluminium in iPhones, a mission that started with the iPhone SE.
Apple began manufacturing the iPhone in India in 2017, working with partners including Foxconn, Pegatron and Wistron. Component suppliers include Avary, Foxlink, Sunwoda and Salcomp. There has since been a strengthening of iPhone manufacturing in India, including commitments under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. The latest generation iPhone 14 is also made here and these steps, the company said, has furthered the cause for job creation in India.
Apple’s $50 million Supplier Employee Development Fund, for new skill development, rights awareness, and other learning opportunities for supplier employees, was launched in 2022. Apple has also collaborated with the Barefoot College to conduct training programs for women in rural India, with particular focus on the advantages of using solar energy in communities.
Apple’s environment focus extends to working with communities in different regions. Earlier this year, the tech giant announced a partnership with non-government organisation Frank Water, with focus on improving water quality and supply, as well as availability of sanitation and hygiene facilities. The pilot project is set to begin at the Anekal taluk in the outskirts of Bengaluru.
Apple has partnered with the Applied Environmental Research Foundation to promote protection and conservation of mangroves in Maharashtra. Research shows mangroves can store up to 10 times more carbon per acre than terrestrial forests.