蘋果擬在印度境內(nèi)組裝iPhone

Apple is inching towards its goal of opening stores in India after securing regional government approvals that could give it traction in the world’s fastest-growing smartphone market — where it has only a 2 per cent share of sales.

蘋果(Apple)正在慢慢走向其在印度開店的目標(biāo)。此前，蘋果獲得了印度地方政府的批準(zhǔn)，這可能會令它在全球增長最快的智能手機市場獲得增長勢頭——蘋果目前在印度的市場份額只有2%。

Permissions to start iPhone assembly in India would see Apple bolster the government’s high-profile campaign to secure manufacturing investment, at a time when the US company has been lobbying in vain for permission to open retail stores in the country.

允許iPhone開始在印度裝配，會展示蘋果支持印度政府爭取制造業(yè)投資的高調(diào)努力。目前，這家美國公司一直在徒勞地開展游說，試圖獲得在印度開設(shè)門店的許可。

The US-based company on Thursday received approval from the government of Karnataka to have phones assembled in the south Indian state, although it remains locked in talks with New Delhi over the deal.

周四，這家總部駐美國的企業(yè)收到了來自卡納塔克邦政府的批文，準(zhǔn)許它在這個印度南部的邦裝配手機，盡管蘋果與新德里方面依然在圍繞該協(xié)議開展磋商。

If it receives final clearance, the phones would be assembled at a factory in Bangalore, Karnataka’s capital city, which is home to much of India’s technology industry, according to a statement from the local information technology ministry.

根據(jù)當(dāng)?shù)匦畔⒓夹g(shù)部的一份聲明，一旦蘋果獲得最終的許可，其手機會在卡納塔克邦首府班加羅爾的一家工廠裝配。印度高科技產(chǎn)業(yè)有很大一部分落戶班加羅爾。

Local media reports suggested the factory would be run by Wistron, a Taiwanese manufacturer that assembles Apple products in China.

當(dāng)?shù)孛襟w報道暗示，該廠將由緯創(chuàng)(Wistron)運營。緯創(chuàng)是一家在中國裝配蘋果產(chǎn)品的臺資制造商。

“Apple’s intentions to manufacture in [Bangalore] will foster cutting edge technology ecosystem and supply chain development in the state, which are critical for India to compete globally,” said Priyank Kharge, Karnataka’s IT minister.

卡納塔克邦信息技術(shù)部長Priyank Kharge表示：“蘋果在(班加羅爾)制造的意圖將在我邦培育領(lǐng)先的高科技生態(tài)系統(tǒng)和供應(yīng)鏈發(fā)展格局，這對印度開展全球競爭至關(guān)重要。”

New Delhi has been eager for Apple to begin assembly operations in India, which would buttress a drive by the government, known as “Make in India”, to encourage foreign investment in the country’s manufacturing sector.

印度政府一直急切地想讓蘋果在印度啟動裝配業(yè)務(wù)，此舉將促進印度政府發(fā)起的名為“印度制造”(Made in India)的努力，目的是鼓勵外資投入印度制造業(yè)。

But, in protracted talks with the government, Apple has maintained that it can do so only if offered concessions allowing it to avoid import duty on components, and an exemption on rules requiring it to source one-third of its parts from Indian suppliers. These rules have hamstrung Apple’s hopes of opening a branded retail store in India, leaving it largely dependent on online sales.

但在與印度政府的漫長談判中，蘋果堅持只有在獲得多方面讓步后才會這么做。這些讓步包括讓蘋果免交零部件的進口關(guān)稅，以及不受向印度供應(yīng)商采購三分之一部件的規(guī)定約束。這些規(guī)定令蘋果在印度開設(shè)品牌專營店的希望渺茫，從而讓它主要依賴在線銷售。

Operations are expected to begin in May or June if a deal can be struck with the central government over tax and trade conditions. Details of the scale of the operations remain unclear, with critics arguing that the assembly of iPhones from imported kits would not promote Indian manufacturing.

一旦與印度中央政府就稅收和貿(mào)易條件達成協(xié)議，預(yù)計裝配業(yè)務(wù)會在5月或6月啟動。有關(guān)裝配業(yè)務(wù)規(guī)模的細節(jié)目前仍不清楚，批評者聲稱，用進口配件組裝iPhone并不會提振印度制造業(yè)。

Apple has been targeting India as growth in smartphone sales in China and developed markets slows, but it has come up against the country’s stringent restrictions on foreign investment by retailers.

在中國市場和發(fā)達市場的智能手機銷量增長放緩之際，蘋果將增長希望寄托于印度市場。不過，蘋果在印度遭遇了該國對外國零售商投資的嚴格限制。