Budget 2018: Apple's India plans hit by hike of 20% customs duty on mobiles

Already under pressure to grow volumes, the iPhone maker may have to look for another price rise

The Union Budget for 2018-19 presented by the finance minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday may jeopardise Apple’s plans for India. While the global giant in consumer technology is getting aggressive about the prospects in the India market as its global sales begin to falter, the latest announcement by the government to raise customs duty on mobile handsets to 20 per cent will hit it hard.

In line with the government’s aim to boast local manufacturing, the FM announced that customs duty will be