<p> India has given Chinese smartphone maker Oppo the go-ahead to open its own single-brand retail stores, boding well for rivals like Apple Inc which are seeking similar approvals.<br /><br />Oppo has become the first pure play smartphone brand to win such a clearance in the world's No. 3 smartphone market, where Apple has been vying for a bigger market share.<br /><br />Although India allows foreign firms to sell directly to consumers through a 'single-brand retail' route, companies must source 30 percent of the products locally.<br /><br />The country moved to partially relax those conditions in 2016, exempting foreign retailers from the sourcing rule for three years in a bid to attract more investment.<br /><br />The Oppo decision is positive for companies like Xiaomi and Vivo, which have been trying to get similar approvals, Tarun Pathak, an analyst at Counterpoint Research, said.<br /><br />And it might mean approval in the near future for Apple, whose sales in India are mainly driven by its older generation iPhones, Pathak said.<br /><br />"Opening a retail store will boost Apple's newer generation sales...it's also the experience that having a store allows you to offer to consumers," Pathak said.<br /><br />Apple applied for store licences last year, shortly after its Chief Executive Tim Cook made his first visit to India, where it has only about three percent market share. (http://reut.rs/2fIFfHl)<br /><br />LVMH WINS CLEARANCE<br /><br />India approved Oppo Mobiles India Pvt Ltd's request on Tuesday, a notice on the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion's foreign investment facilitation portal said.<br /><br />Oppo is one of four phone brands, alongside Vivo, OnePlus and Imoo, owned by the Chinese firm BBK Electronics.<br /><br />It plans to start making phones at a plant near the capital New Delhi by the end of 2017, with exports planned in the next two to three years, Indian daily Business Standard reported.<br /><br />Oppo partners with Taiwan's Foxconn Technology, which also makes iPhones, on assembling phones in India, where Apple too has begun assembling some of its lower-end iPhones.<br /><br />The government also said it had approved luxury goods retailer Louis Vuitton's application to open its own stores after previously giving the go-ahead to Amazon.com and hardware and electronics maker Acer India.</p>
<p> India has given Chinese smartphone maker Oppo the go-ahead to open its own single-brand retail stores, boding well for rivals like Apple Inc which are seeking similar approvals.<br /><br />Oppo has become the first pure play smartphone brand to win such a clearance in the world's No. 3 smartphone market, where Apple has been vying for a bigger market share.<br /><br />Although India allows foreign firms to sell directly to consumers through a 'single-brand retail' route, companies must source 30 percent of the products locally.<br /><br />The country moved to partially relax those conditions in 2016, exempting foreign retailers from the sourcing rule for three years in a bid to attract more investment.<br /><br />The Oppo decision is positive for companies like Xiaomi and Vivo, which have been trying to get similar approvals, Tarun Pathak, an analyst at Counterpoint Research, said.<br /><br />And it might mean approval in the near future for Apple, whose sales in India are mainly driven by its older generation iPhones, Pathak said.<br /><br />"Opening a retail store will boost Apple's newer generation sales...it's also the experience that having a store allows you to offer to consumers," Pathak said.<br /><br />Apple applied for store licences last year, shortly after its Chief Executive Tim Cook made his first visit to India, where it has only about three percent market share. (http://reut.rs/2fIFfHl)<br /><br />LVMH WINS CLEARANCE<br /><br />India approved Oppo Mobiles India Pvt Ltd's request on Tuesday, a notice on the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion's foreign investment facilitation portal said.<br /><br />Oppo is one of four phone brands, alongside Vivo, OnePlus and Imoo, owned by the Chinese firm BBK Electronics.<br /><br />It plans to start making phones at a plant near the capital New Delhi by the end of 2017, with exports planned in the next two to three years, Indian daily Business Standard reported.<br /><br />Oppo partners with Taiwan's Foxconn Technology, which also makes iPhones, on assembling phones in India, where Apple too has begun assembling some of its lower-end iPhones.<br /><br />The government also said it had approved luxury goods retailer Louis Vuitton's application to open its own stores after previously giving the go-ahead to Amazon.com and hardware and electronics maker Acer India.</p>