India upsets the Apple cart

The iPhone maker may have to rethink its India strategy in the wake of the customs duty hike

Last month, when Apple’s Chief Executive Tim Cook gave a surprise keynote at the World Internet Conference in China, his appeal for an open internet raised many eyebrows. Not only was it Cook’s second visit to the country in the past two months, but attending a conference that promotes censorship on internet was rather ironical. However, at a time when Apple is facing attacks on multiple fronts —sales of iPhones have been falling for the first time since launch in 2007 — securing markets of the future only reflects the depth of his business acumen.

For a company that operates in