The rush for iPhones sees Apple register all-time revenue record in India: CEO Tim Cook

NEW DELHI: Apple’s operations in India shone once again for the US tech and electronics major, which set an all-time revenue record in the country just as it recorded an eight per cent growth in global revenues, at $102.5 billion, led by “a tremendous response” to the new iPhone 17 series and the previous-gen iPhone 16.

Tim Cook, the global CEO of Apple, said the company is hoping for a further surge in the sales momentum during the Christmas and New Year’s season, even as it battles constraints in fulfilling customer demand, along with some delays in shipments to the crucial Chinese market. “Turning to retail, we’re heading into our busiest time of year with our best-ever lineup.”India stood out once again for its stellar performance, not just in the production of iPhones but also because of the strong revenues.

“We also set a September quarter revenue record in emerging markets and an all-time revenue record in India,” Cook said while releasing global financial numbers.He attributed the surge to growth in the retail footprint of the company across geographies, including in India. “In the last few months, we’ve opened new stores in emerging markets like India and the UAE and new locations in the US and China.”Cook said the acceptance of the new iPhone series has seen the company register growth in the vast majority of markets.

It had September quarter revenue records in dozens of markets, including the U.S., Canada, Latin America, Western Europe, the Middle East, Japan, Korea, and South Asia.Kevan Parekh, the CFO of Apple, also had words of praise for India, a market that was amongst the countries that saw the biggest surge in demand for iPhones. “iPhone revenue was $49 billion, up 6% year-over-year, driven by the iPhone 16 family. iPhone grew in the vast majority of the markets we track, with September quarter records in many emerging markets, including Latin America, the Middle East, and South Asia, and an all-time record in India.

”Apple said that the iPhone active installed base grew to an all-time high across the world, and it set a September quarter record for upgraders. “According to the recent survey from World Panel, the iPhone was a top-selling model in the U.S., urban China, the UK, France, Australia, and Japan. We continue to see very high levels of customer satisfaction in the U.S. at 98% as measured by 451 Research.”The company has said it does not intend to slow down expansion in India – both for production of iPhones or in broadening retail or business/sales operations – despite geopolitical tensions as diplomatic relations between India and the U.S.

remain challenging over the Trump administration’s tariffs decisions and purchase of Russian oil by New Delhi.Apple management has told the Indian government that the company continues to actively pursue its expansion plans in India. Factories of Taiwanese Foxconn as well as the Tata group in India, are not only making iPhones for India but also for meeting the demands in the US market. The company has also been witnessing a strong growth in demand in the domestic consumption of iPhones in India.