Don’t want used Apple goods to be imported and sold in India, says India's industry minister

The Finance Ministry of India has rejected the waiver of mandatory local sourcing for Apple Inc to set up single-brand stores in India, while the Commerce Ministry has said that it will again push the case of the iPhone maker so that both ministries can soon reach a consensus decision.

However, Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that she is not in favour of Apple's proposal of importing refurbished phones and selling them in India.

"We would not be in favour of whatever you may call them -- used but refashioned, remodelled, updated... used goods. We are not in favour of bringing them here," she said.

She added that her ministry has taken a line that the requirement of 30% local sourcing can be waived off for products that offer high-end technology.

"Now the Finance Ministry has already taken a different position, we will certainly talk to them... I want more clarity on that... We will talk and make sure that sooner we will come out with some decision," she told reporters here.

Talking to the reporters, she added that, "We are not talking about changing the rule for manufacturing. We are just saying let's be clear on single-brand retailing.

"... Why do we want to have something which is not going to change in any way the parameter in the market and therefore we want to explain it out to the Finance Ministry."

She added: "This is the issue on which we have genuine concerns and therefore, within the government, I want a consensus to evolve."

The Finance Ministry has said that it is against relaxing the 30% domestic sourcing norms that Apple seeks as a pre-condition before it sets up single-brand retail stores in the country, saying that it makes state-of-the-art and cutting-edge technology products.

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