Apple eyes record sales in India in FY 2022

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Apple eyes record sales in India in FY 2022

After clocking record sales last year, consumer technology giant Apple is poised to break its sales record in India in FY 2022.

The local unit of Cupertino-based company is expected to cross the 30,000 crore revenue mark in the current fiscal, despite the continued surge in demand for its iPhones, Macs and iPads.

In India last year, its operating revenue grew by 68 per cent -- the highest jump in nine years - to Rs 22,845 crore. It is expected to grow its sales by at least a third 33 percent, taking its India revenue beyond Rs 30,000 crore for the first time, industry experts estimate.

Apple's sales in India have doubled during the first six months of FY 2022, according to Tim Cook's announcements.

Sales of its premium Mac portfolio in the country's personal computers market have jumped by over 200 per cent, according to the volume update.

Apple held a record 5 per cent share of the local PC market between April and September, according to IDC.

After a 3.2 million unit sales in 2020, sales of iPhones - the largest revenue generator for Apple -- is expected to cross five million units in the calendar year 2021, industry watcher CyberMedia Research estimates. Its iPhone sales in the first nine months of the year are expected to increase by over 50 per cent.

In tablets where Apple India had been a laggard for years, the company has gained 24 per cent market share, up from its 17 per cent market share in 2020, according to Prabhu Ram, head of industry intelligence group at CMR.

Apple is set to post record sales of its iPhones and iPads, with a 3.5 per cent and 24 per cent share of the overall smartphones and tablets market. With its constant push for local sourcing, its newer models are hitting the local market faster - boosting the prospects of greater sales. He said that there will be more aggressive marketing initiatives in 2022.

Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint Research, said that a resilient supply chain was in place despite the component shortage crises that kept Apple going in India.

In India, the surge in demand for premium products is boosting sales of its products. He told Business Today that they planned to offer iPhones better than the past, which resulted in higher sales.

In 2021, low performing categories like iPads and Apple Watch performed well. Apple held 39 per cent of the smart watch market until September quarter, according to IDC.

The company does not lose the momentum that it had gathered in 2020 because of Apple's successful management of supply side constraints in 2021. Ram from CMR believes that this is a key factor that is boosting its fortunes in the country.

Apple initially shipped in a record 600,000 handsets to ensure record sales of its newly introduced iPhone 13 s during the festive season.

The iPhone 12 series became the most sold iPhone models even before the iPhone 13 s were launched in October, according to CMR. This indicates a new trend, where the latest iPhone models take the front seat in Apple's sales in India.

Industry experts said Apple might have sold a record number of new iPhones this time, despite off taking numbers for iPhone 13 s in the crucial October-December quarter.