Apple has sought relaxed labeling rules from the Indian government so that the Cupertino-based company doesn’t have to print product-related information directly onto devices, The Economic Times reported on Thursday citing an unnamed official.
A group of senior officials from Indian ministries, including commerce and finance, will early next month deliberate on the incentives sought by US-based iPhone maker Apple to set up a manufacturing unit in the country.
As per Indian packaging standards, all pre-packaged commodities imported to India must carry information including the name and address of the importer, generic or common name of the commodity packed, month and year of packaging in which the commodity is manufactured or packed or imported, and the maximum retail sales price in English or Hindi.
Manufacturing products in India will allow Apple to open its stores in the country, where its smartphone market share is a minuscule 5%. At the moment, the company sells goods in India mainly through exclusive franchise stores.
The company has also sought tax incentives that are being examined by the Indian finance ministry . The government currently provides subsidies for investments in special economic zones in order to attract investors.
When Apple CEO Tim Cook visited India earlier this year he said that “India is the next big potential market.” Indian PM Narendra Modi also urged Tim Cook to open Apple factories in the country.
