Apple has announced a strategic partnership with Bharti Airtel, India’s second-largest telecom provider, aimed at significantly enhancing its footprint in the Indian market. Under the new agreement, Airtel’s 281 million customers will receive free access to Apple Music and Apple TV+, marking a major push by Apple to increase its market share in a region where it faces strong competition from local players like Spotify and Walt Disney.
This partnership aligns with Apple’s global strategy to boost revenue from its services sector. By integrating Apple Music into Airtel’s Wynk app and providing complimentary access to Apple TV+, Apple hopes to expand its user base in India, where its iPhones currently hold just 6% of the smartphone market.
Nitesh Kripalani, former head of Amazon Prime Video India, noted that this move is a strategic effort to strengthen Apple’s presence in India. Apple has employed similar strategies in the U.S., where it offers Apple Music through Verizon and bundles Apple TV+ with Comcast services.
As part of the deal, Airtel will transition from its Wynk music app to Apple Music, benefiting from reduced per-user fees. This transition is expected to bolster customer loyalty while lowering costs for Airtel.
In the video streaming space, Apple TV+ faces strong competition from Disney+ Hotstar and Netflix. Despite this, the partnership is anticipated to increase Apple TV+’s visibility and user base in India, although it may encounter challenges due to its relatively limited local content offerings.
The collaboration highlights Apple’s ongoing efforts to leverage strategic partnerships to enhance its service offerings and expand its market share in India.
