Apple India targets 12 lakh devices for OND

MUMBAI, INDIA: Apple, which sold approximately 12 lakh devices in India in the previous financial year, has set a steep target for the OND quarter this year. Apple India has set a full year target of 35 lakh devices, a number synonymous with some of its largest markets globally.

The consumer giant aims to sell 12 lakh devices in the October-December quarter. For this, the company has lined up a whopping Rs 300 crore as marketing and promotional budget.

To begin with Apple is betting big on the Apple iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus (which will be rolled out on October 16), and expect the new devices to contribute around 60 percent of total sales.

Secondly, the company will leverage the festive buying season and craze for the latest iPhone devices to up sales. It is expected to announce attractive buy-back schemes and other campaigns to boost sales.

"For Apple, it will be unprecedented numbers in India, and the company has asked its top distributors to go all out and sell aggressively, as this is the high-potential festive period. The target of 12 lakh devices in just one quarter displays the company's aggression and confidence on the Indian market," Economic Times quoted sources.

The aggressive push by Apple comes at a time when the company has decided to move out of the fringes and go big in India. With special focus on tier-2 cities, the company has not only expanded its distribution network, but also plans to open 500 iOS stores including smaller towns and cities such as Amritsar, Pathankot, Moga, Coimbatore, Trichy, Nagpur and Nasik.

For the new cities, Apple is planning smaller stores, which can range between 300-600 sq ft against the over 2,000 sq ft size of existing stores in bigger cities, ET reported.