According to Bloomberg, Apple is again asking for permission to sell used refurbished iPhones in India. The company tried asking for this before but was shot down by government officials in the country.
Apple is planning to manufacture new iPhones in India as soon as April but is again negotiating to sell refurbished devices as well, assumedly at lower prices than the brand new models.
The request makes up one of the concessions Apple has submitted to the Indian government as incentives to start iPhone local manufacturing. The company wants various startup benefits including a fifteen-year tax holiday.
Apple’s request for a license to sell used iPhones in the country was first rejected in May 2016. India does not want its country to be used as a dumping ground for the world’s unwanted electronics and fears it would undermine its ‘Make in India’ program to boost local manufacturing.
Apple’s second attempt at asking for permission to sell refurbished devices includes promises that the device will meet certain standards of quality. Apple be ‘open to third-party audits and checks’ to verify the condition of resold items.
Apple wants to take iPhones that are traded in around the world, perform some refurbishment, and then sell them to the price-conscious India market at significantly lower prices than what it charges for new products.
If Apple’s wishes are granted, it would become the first company that is allowed to import used devices into India. Currently, Apple is a small player in the Indian smartphone market — held back by the premium iPhone prices. With local manufacturing, the company should be able to bring the prices down.
