US-based mobile phone manufacturer Apple’s plea to be allowed to import refurbished phones has not been entirely rejected by the government.
While the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) has refused to allow the company to sell its second-hand phones in the country, the government is still open to its request of allowing used handsets to be imported to meet Apple’s after-sale service contract.
“We are still looking at their proposal of being allowed to import refurbished phones to meet their after-sale service requirements. The discussions are still on in that matter,” a DIPP official told BusinessLine.
Allowing Apple to import its used phones into the country for meeting after-sale services requirement would essentially mean that the company be permitted to use the parts of such phones to service the i-phones sold in the country.
“The DIPP has received such requests before for products such as photocopy machines and printers, where foreign companies have proposed that they be allowed to import second-hand parts to service products sold in the country,” said another official. “However, a positive decision has not been taken on any of the proposals yet.”
The policy uncertainties notwithstanding, Apple started manufacturing its devices in India last week, at its Taiwanese contract manufacturing partner Wistron’s plant, in Bengaluru.