India rejects Apple’s request to sell used and refurbished iPhones

India has declined Apple’s request to sell refurbished iPhones in the country. Being one of the world’s largest population of smartphone users, India is a lucrative market for selling refurbished iPhone devices for cheaper prices. This would have helped Apple acquire more users in the country. But the dreams were shattered when telecommunications ministry official shared the rejection of the offer.

Although asking not to be identified, the government official has said the reason behind such a decision is government’s official policy. In India, local manufacturers were also teaming up against Apple with the argument that selling used smartphones will trigger usage of second-hand devices instead of new. The Government of India has also started a ‘Make in India’ campaign and local manufacturers believe that letting Apple sell second-hand devices in the country will kill the purpose of promoting locally made devices through Make in India.

Apple’s devices have a premium price tag which is not affordable for the majority of Indian population. In such a case, Apple wouldn’t want to slash the prices for a specific country but instead, they want to send a barrage of used and refurbished devices in India to win customers.

Source – The Verge