The iPad was finally here after Indian Apple fans waited for 10 long painful months. Indian consumers can now purchase them directly from Apple stores or through the Apple India website.
Hurray? No, not in India. The joyous Apple effect was no longer there. Indian consumers were not flooding the Apple stores to buy the iPad
“We have had lots of calls about the iPad today, but no sales,” said Sonu Kumar Deepak, manager of a New Delhi store.
The iPad 2 rumor could have killed the iPad magic in India. Many weren’t as keen as they learned that iPad 2 was rumored to launch in a few months time. The iPad high price could also be another possible factor. iPad in India is slightly more expensive compared to the U.S. The simplest version of iPad with 16 GB memory and Wi-FI costs US$609, about 15 percent more than the retail price in U.S. The higher price reflects custom duties.
So, why is the iPad launched so late in India? Here is a possible answer: Amit Agarwal, a tech blogger told AFP that “Apple has a tendency to ignore Indian markets and a lot of people feel that it is trying to dispose of its inventory in India ahead of launching iPad 2.”
Another reason could be due to Apple’s inability to meet global demands for its iPad. India, as we all know, is a huge consumer market. To launch the iPad in India would require a lot of production preparation to meet the country’s demand. Unfortunately, the long wait could have killed many Indian consumers’ interest in the iPad. The iPad will face stiff competition from Samsung’s 3G-enabled Galaxy tablet which launched in India in November 2010, initially selling for $800, but now on offer for $650.
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