Apple strengthens India presence with research and development subsidiary

At present, Apple's research and development bases are located in the US, China, Germany and Israel. Apple is also planning to launch four new stores in India

Apple Inc has established a wholly-owned subsidiary in India, Apple Operations India, to focus on research and design, potentially contributing to the development of new products, the Economic Times reported on Saturday.

 

In a filing with the Registrar of Companies (RoC) last week, Apple Operations India said that it will engage in hardware development, failure analysis, and procurement of engineering equipment. The report said that the Cupertino-based company has given ‘a letter of comfort, assuring operational and financial support for the subsidiary in India till the “foreseeable future”.

 

If the plan goes through, this moment will mark the first time for the US tech giant to undertake research and development in India. At present, its R&D bases are located in the United States, China, Germany and Israel.

 

 

The move will boost Apple’s operation presence in India beyond just assembly and sales. Notably, the Indian market has recently seen record-breaking revenue growth for the company. Last week, Business Standard reported that Apple is also planning to launch four new stores in India, to expand its retail footprint as the company has witnessed a strong demand for its latest iPhone models and iPads. The company announced it recorded an overall quarterly revenue of $94.9 billion, up 6 per cent year-on-year.

 

The latest R&D facility will also be a direct subsidiary of the US parent in India. The existing entity, Apple India, is part of the European operations and is owned by Ireland-based Apple Operations International.

 

Apple's current store locations in India are in Saket in New Delhi and in BKC, Mumbai. Its new proposed stores could be in Pune, Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, and Mumbai.