Apple Partners with Bharti Airtel to Boost Apple TV+ and Apple Music Presence in India

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 2nd Sept. In a strategic move to enhance its foothold in the Indian content market, Apple has forged a partnership with Bharti Airtel, India’s second-largest telecom operator. This collaboration will provide Airtel’s 281 million customers with complimentary access to Apple Music and Apple TV+, addressing Apple’s need to bolster its presence in a market dominated by platforms like Spotify and Walt Disney.

The agreement is expected to significantly broaden the user base for Apple’s services in India, a country where Apple has focused heavily on manufacturing to diversify its supply chain away from China. Despite producing a substantial number of iPhones in India, Apple’s smartphones account for only 6% of the nation’s 690 million units, a modest increase from 2% in 2019, according to Counterpoint Research.

Nitesh Kripalani, former head of Amazon Prime Video in India, noted that this initiative underscores Apple’s ambition to strengthen its market presence in India. He highlighted that such strategies are effective in expanding market share in key regions.

In the U.S., Apple has previously offered Apple Music for free through Verizon mobile data plans since 2019 and included Apple TV+ in a Comcast streaming bundle starting May. In India, Apple Music will be integrated into Airtel’s Wynk music app, which will eventually be phased out. Premium Airtel postpaid users will have access to an ad-free version of Wynk, though current usage is limited.

Apple and Airtel have not commented on the specifics of the deal outside regular business hours. However, industry sources indicate that Airtel will pay Apple a per-user fee significantly below the $1.20 monthly charge for Apple TV+ and Apple Music in India. This move is expected to help Airtel cut costs related to licensing and enhance customer retention by offering Apple Music as a replacement for Wynk.

Despite Apple’s efforts, its video streaming service lags behind competitors in India. Disney+ Hotstar leads the market with 38 million users, while Netflix has around 10 million. Apple TV+, with its original series like “The Morning Show” and “Slow Horses,” has fewer than 1 million users, according to Counterpoint Research. The new partnership aims to boost Apple’s visibility and adoption in the Indian market, though local content optimization remains a challenge.

Airtel’s strategy includes offering multi-month free access to Apple TV+, potentially expanding the service’s reach, although its local content offering is currently less extensive compared to rivals.