Courtesy: https://silktide.com

There seems to be no end to roadblocks for Apple in India! In a recent development, India has stated that Apple can open stores here but it has to first create jobs for people.

According to Arun Jaitley, Indian finance Minister, foreign companies seeking to sell their products in India must also create jobs in the country. This announcement comes at a time when Apple is desperately trying to get approval for opening its own retail stores in the country. The American tech giant’s application is still waiting for a go ahead, as it does not meet the requirements of the Indian Government. The government has suggested that the foreign company should locally source at least 30 per cent of its raw material.

Also Read – Ministry Ruling Puts Brakes On Apple’s Expansion Plans In India!

Jaitley commented on the same by saying that he was completely in agreement with the rule that was introduced by the UPA government.

“Speaking for myself, I feel it was based on good rationale, and the rationale behind the policy was, when somebody eyes such a large market, obviously job creation also is something the government of India is concerned with,” reasoned Jaitley. Creating more jobs is definitely a key element of the Government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative.

However, Jaitley also admitted that there is an exception to the rule but the Indian government is yet to decide whether Apple meets the criteria to be exempted or not. The retailer has opened an iOS development centre in the country to help support and develop future app-makers and sells its products via third parties.

With all these conditions, the future of Apple -owned stores in India seems to be quite bleak and the company has stated that it won’t set up stores in India if the government doesn’t exempt it from the sourcing rule, as it has no immediate plans of manufacturing devices in India or buying parts from Indian vendors.

Amidst these issues, Apple has found a staunch strong supporter in Nitin Bawankule, the Google India Industry Director, who is of the opinion that if the retailer does manage to set up a facility here and bring more India-focused products then, it will not only help grow the Indian smart phone industry but will also do good for the overall retail sector.