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A6 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 19 april 2023

Apple Inc bets big on India as it opens first flagship store

By KRUTIKA PATHI said Neil Shah, vice presi-
Associated Press dent of research at tech-
NEW DELHI (AP) — Apple nology market research firm
Inc. opened its first flagship Counterpoint Research.
store in India in a much-an- Between 2020 and 2022,
ticipated launch Tuesday the Silicon Valley company
that highlights the com- has gained some ground in
pany’s growing aspirations the smartphone market in
to expand in the country the country, going from just
it also hopes to turn into a about 2% to capturing 6%,
potential manufacturing according to Counterpoint
hub. The company’s CEO data.
Tim Cook posed for photos Still, the iPhone’s hefty price
with a few of the 100 or so tag puts it out of reach for
Apple fans who had lined the majority of Indians.
up outside the sprawling Instead, iPhone sales in
20,000-square-foot store the country have thrived
in India’s financial capital, among the sliver of upper-
Mumbai, its design inspired middle-class and rich In-
by the iconic black-and- dians with disposable in-
yellow cabs unique to the comes, a segment of buy-
city. A second store will ers that Shah says is rising.
open Thursday in the na- According to Counterpoint
tional capital, New Delhi. data, Apple has captured
“India has such a beautiful 65% of the “premium”
culture and an incredible An unidentified person holding an old Macintosh Classic machine poses with Apple CEO Tim smartphone market, where
Cook for a photograph during the grand opening of Apple Inc. first flagship store in Mumbai,
energy, and we’re excited India, Tuesday, April 18, 2023. prices range up from 30,000
to build on our long-stand- Associated Press rupees ($360). In Septem-
ing history,” Cook said in a ber, Apple announced
statement earlier. delayed its plans to open a steadily, said Jayanth Kolla, dia’s sheer size makes the it would start making its
The tech giant has been flagship store. analyst at Convergence market especially encour- iPhone 14 in India. The
operating in India for The new stores are a clear Catalyst, a tech consultan- aging. news was hailed as a win
more than 25 years, selling signal of the company’s cy. The stores show “how About 600 million of In- for Prime Minister Narendra
its products through au- commitment to invest in much India matters to the dia’s 1.4 billion people Modi’s government, which
thorized retailers and the India, the second-largest present and the future of have smartphones, “which has pushed for ramping up
website it launched a few smartphone market in the the company,” he added. means the market is still local manufacturing ever
years ago. But regulatory world where iPhone sales For the Cupertino, Califor- under-penetrated and the since he came to power in
hurdles and the pandemic have been ticking up nia-based company, In- growth prospect is huge,” 2014.q

China’s military chief vows to bolster

ties with Russia

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV day’s meeting with Shoigu. short.
Associated Press “We will certainly take them After the talks, Putin and
MOSCOW (AP) — The Chi- to a new level.” Xi issued joint declarations
nese defense chief vowed Li’s trip follows last month’s pledging to further bolster
Tuesday to take military co- three-day state visit to the their “strategic coopera-
operation with Moscow to a Russian capital by Chinese tion,” develop cooperation
new level, a statement that leader Xi Jinping, reflect- in energy, high-tech indus-
reflects increasingly close ing China’s strengthening tries and other spheres and
Russia-China ties amid the engagement with Russia. expand the use of their cur-
fighting in Ukraine. Moscow and Beijing have rencies in mutual trade to In this handout photo released by Russian Defense Ministry
Chinese Defense Minister closely aligned their poli- reduce dependence on Press Service, China’s Defense Minister Gen. Li Shangfu speaks
Gen. Li Shangfu held talks cies in attempt to reshape the West. to academy teachers as Chief of the Military Academy of the
with his Russian counterpart the world order to diminish After more than a year General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
Sergei Shoigu after attend- the influence of the United of fighting in Ukraine and Col. Gen. Vladimir Zarudnitsky stands left of him during a visit to
ing a meeting Sunday with States and its Western allies. bruising Western sanctions, Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the
Russian Federation in Moscow, Russia, Monday, April 17, 2023.
Russian President Vladimir China has refused to criti- Russia’s dependence on Associated Press
Putin in the Kremlin. cize Russia’s actions in China has increased signifi-
“The armed forces of China Ukraine and blamed the cantly. Facing Western re- Last month, Putin and Xi weapons supplies to Rus-
and Russia will implement U.S. and NATO for provok- strictions on its oil, gas and also vowed to further de- sia that the U.S. and other
the agreements reached ing Moscow. Xi’s visit to other exports, Russia has velop military cooperation Western allies feared, and
by the heads of state and Moscow gave a strong po- shifted its energy flows to between Moscow and Bei- the Chinese foreign minister
expand military coopera- litical boost to Putin, send- China and sharply expand- jing and conduct more joint reaffirmed Friday that Bei-
tion, military-technical ties ing a message to Western ed other exports, resulting sea and air patrols. How- jing wouldn’t sell weapons
and arms trade,” Li said in leaders that their efforts to in a 30% hike in bilateral ever, there was no mention to either side in the conflict
opening remarks at Tues- isolate Russia have fallen trade. of any prospective Chinese in Ukraine.q