Here’s what Apple is doing to take over the Indian mobile market

US based mobile manufacturer Apple is planning to expand its wings in India with its first ever targeted TV advertising campaign, expanded retail network and promotional financing schemes. Till very recently, Indian never featured on Apple’s top priority for its business plans.

Since India outpaced the Chinese market with 87% more sales than that later in April-June quarter, Apple has decided to build on aggressively on a 93% increase in its iPhone sales in India. The US handset giant holds a mere 2% shares of the total Indian mobile market with South Korean rival Samsung on top slot, owing one-third of total market sales.

However, Samsung’s aggressive lead in the market is now under threat, with even investors saying that Apple’s plans for India will surely dent the South Korean firm’s position in this market.

Tech research firm IDC’s Managing Director for India and South Asia, Jaideep Mehta said, "Apple is consciously expanding its distribution in India and pushing its products aggressively. The marketing spend too is a part of that.”

According to sources, Apple has also hired a new senior executive to solely take charge of the Indian market and has also placed advertisements for the position of a policy adviser to help it work with New Delhi's bureaucracy. The firm, however, has not made any comment in this regard so far.

If reports are to be believed, Apple is aggressively targeting the Indian market. A senior executive at an electronics chain store, on condition of anonymity, has said, "Apple's single-minded focus for India is on volume. They have increased distributors and want to reach out to smaller cities."

Analysts say much of the high growth in iPhone sales in India has come from earlier models such as the 4S, 5S and 5C, which are sold more cheaply.

Not just this but Apple, for the first time, has talked about Indian TV serials. The reports says that Apple plays up the ambitious appeal of its phones, showing a glamorous Indian bride using Face-time, Apple's video calling feature, to send coy flashes to her groom of her hands on which she has applied heena, or her wedding dress before their wedding.

Moreover, Apple has also offered financing schemes for its iPhone 6 buyers where they can pay in monthly installments. It has also launched Apple Music, a cloud-based music streaming service, for just 120 rupees ($1.88) a month in India - a fifth of the price in the United States.
The company, though, has offered easy financing schemes in India but retailers feel that the focus on operations and marketing show Apple is now more seriously targeting the market.