Apple nears $10 billion in India revenue, rivals Samsung in smartphone sales

Apple India Revenue FY23: Apple Inc. is on the verge of reaching a significant milestone in India, with annual revenue expected to touch $10 billion by the end of this year. The tech giant's success in India is underscored by a staggering 47.8% growth in sales, amounting to ₹49,321 crore ($5.9 billion), as reported in its filings with the Registrar of Companies (RoC).

"Apple topped the smartphone revenue chart in India in the first six months, and has also had a very strong two months festive season sales. Due to this, there is a strong probability Apple could pip Samsung to the top spot in smartphone revenue in India," told Navkendar Singh, associate vice-president for client devices at International Data Corp to Mint.

In 2022, Apple closed the year with 6.5 million iPhone units shipped to retailers, a number that is expected to rise to over 9 million units in 2023, according to industry analysts. However, this figure remains lower than Samsung's 26.1 million units shipped last year, partly due to the stark difference in average selling prices. Samsung's phones are priced around $350, whereas Apple's iPhones command an average selling price of $1,000.

Despite challenges, Apple's future in India appears promising. Sales have steadily risen, and with prices nearly three times the Indian market average, there's room for growth. However, experts caution that there might be a saturation point for Apple. "The premium phones market is about 20% of the overall market. Apple can only sell so many $1,000 phones in the long run. At some point, the room for exponential growth will run out," said Singh.

Analysts and retailers told Mint that Apple might need to reconsider its pricing strategy to further penetrate the Indian market. During the recent festive sales, online sellers offered the iPhone 14 for as low as ₹59,000, indicating a potential strategy to challenge competitors like Samsung. Manish Khatri, a Mumbai-based retailer and distributor, noted that offering older flagship devices at a more competitive price, around $600 (₹50,000), could be a key move for Apple to gain a larger market share.

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