As the iPhone 17 nears, Apple's annual sales in India have reached almost $9 billion in the last fiscal year, a new record for the company.
A Bloomberg report on Friday citing an unnamed person familiar with the figures, noted that Apple's premium devices made up the majority of sales across India. Demand for Apple's MacBook laptops is also thought to have been particularly strong.
Apple recently opened a new store in Pune, India, which came just days after another store opened in Bengaluru.
The two stores highlight Apple's current focus on India as a key market for growth, while the company continues to produce products in the country. Apple has been moving manufacturing to India ever since the COVID-19 pandemic saw its Chinese operations grind to a halt.
In fact, Apple CEO Tim Cook recently confirmed that half of the iPhones sold in the United States were built in India.
The moving of manufacturing to India and the opening of new retail stores are linked in more ways than some might expect. India's requirements for retailers to locally source their products prevented Apple from opening its online store until 2020, and the brick-and-mortar stores have followed.
Apple's new Indian manufacturing hasn't gone unnoticed, though. American President Donald Trump has sought to turn the tide, telling Cook to move manufacturing to the United States instead.
Apple products are particularly pricey for Indian buyers. The report points out that the $799 iPhone 16 costs the equivalent of $905 in the country.
Apple has sought to make its products more affordable by offering discounts via its new stores, a process that is working if these latest sales results are any indication.
Apple's Indian success comes as smartphone sales have slowed globally, with growth hard to come by. Apple will no doubt hope that it can rely on future sales records in India to help prop up any lulls elsewhere.
