Apple Inc., seeking to strengthen its presence in India’s fast-growing content market, has partnered with Bharti Airtel, the country’s second-largest telecom operator.
This collaboration is expected to enhance the user base for Apple’s streaming services, Apple TV+ and Apple Music, in a region where the company’s media offerings have lagged behind competitors such as Spotify and Disney.
India, where Apple has predominantly focused on manufacturing to diversify its supply chain, now appears to be a focal point for the tech giant’s content and services strategy.
Through the integration of its music and video streaming services into Airtel’s offerings, Apple aims to tap into a wide customer base that has so far been elusive.
Bharti Airtel has 281 million subscribers, a large audience that could provide a much-needed boost to Apple’s growth in the region.
Industry analysts view this move as an important step for Apple in India. Nitesh Kripalani, former head of Amazon Prime Video in India, spoke on Apple’s strategic pivot, noting that the company is employing a tried-and-tested approach to penetrate key markets.
In offering its services at no additional cost to Airtel’s premium users, Apple is expected to gain a stronger foothold in India’s competitive digital content industry.
While Apple has seen some success in expanding its smartphone market share in India — from 2% in 2019 to 6% today — its streaming services have yet to make a significant impact.
The partnership with Airtel could help bridge this gap, especially as it aligns with similar strategies Apple has employed in other markets, such as the United States, where it has bundled Apple Music with Verizon plans and is set to include Apple TV+ in Comcast’s streaming bundles.
In the Indian context, Apple Music will soon be integrated into Airtel’s Wynk music app, which currently offers ad-free streaming to around 7 million postpaid subscribers.
However, the app has not been able to engage its user base, with only a small percentage actively using the service.
With Wynk set to wind down, Apple Music is set to take its place, offering a richer selection of content, including Bollywood and regional-language music, although its library still trails behind Spotify’s in size.
India’s music streaming market is still in its early stages, with just 7.5 million of the country’s 185 million streaming users paying for services last year, according to data from industry group FICCI and consultants EY.
Apple’s partnership with Airtel could accelerate the adoption of paid streaming services, as the telecom giant will reportedly pay Apple a per-user fee that is lower than the current subscription rates for Apple TV+ and Apple Music in India.
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