Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, has stated that the administration of President Donald Trump has helped the firm to secure a retail presence in India without a local partner, according to a Fox Business interview, and that it has managed to do so in an expeditious manner. 

The firm’s activities in the country have been steadily accelerating with production of the iPhone and its components having been launched there too, as outlined in Panjiva’s research of Feb. 4. The implicit support shown by Apple of Prime Minister Modi’s “Make in India” policy shown by the iPhone manufacturing move will have helped Apple’s position in the country too.

Apple’s retail store openings come as India’s imports of phones have fallen with a 2.7% year over year slide in the three months to Nov. 30 and a 15.2% slide in the prior year, Panjiva’s data shows. That’s largely a response to expanding domestic manufacturing rather than lack of demand. The market for imported computers remains more robust though with a 14.6% rise in the three months to Nov. 30. Phones still outvalue computers by 2:1 however.

Chart compares Indian imports of mobile phones and computers on a monthly and three-month average basis. Source: Panjiva

Apple’s shipments of the iPhone to India have recovered recently with a 74.3% year over year rise in the three months to Nov. 30, yet supplies through the year overall fell by 14.6% to $724 million of direct imports by Apple. That partly reflects much weaker sales earlier in the year, possibly due to new model supplies.

Imports of the MacBook and iMac ranges remain strong though with a 9.3% rise in the three months to Nov. 30 and a 19.3% increase over the past 12 months to reach $442 million.

Chart compares Indian imports of Apple iPhone and Mac products on a monthly and three-month average basis. Source: Panjiva