Apple looks to spread wings to take on resurgent Samsung

Via The Economic Times | Jun 15, 2015

Apple is planning more than a twofold expansion of its retail reach in India to
double iPhone sales in each of the next three years to achieve fresh targets set
by the company's US parent amid stiff competition in the premium smartphone seg
ment from a reinvigorated Samsung. The company has signed a distribution deal wi
th the Delhi based Optiemus Group, which is also a distributor of Samsung and HT
C smartphones, three industry executives said. More such deals are in the pipeli
ne, they said. With this, Apple will have a fifth iPhone distributor, the others
being Redington, Ingram Micro, Rashi Peripherals and Brightstar, the last of wh
ich was appointed in January. Optiemus has been given a specific mandate to expa
nd the distribution of iPhones in neighbourhood cellphone stores. The group dist
ributes Samsung smartphones in large retail chains and HTC smartphones through s
eparate companies.