Apple has recently formed a partnership with Bharti Airtel, India’s second-largest telecom firm, in an effort to bolster its presence in the content market, where it currently lags behind competitors such as Spotify and Walt Disney. This collaboration will allow Apple to offer free music and video streaming services to many of Airtel’s 281 million customers, thereby expanding the user base for Apple TV+ and Apple Music in a country where the company has traditionally focused on manufacturing.
Despite the fact that Apple manufactures many of its iPhones in India, its market share in the country remains relatively small. However, this partnership with Airtel signifies Apple’s ambitions for the Indian market and its strategy to increase its presence in key markets. By offering Apple Music to premium users of Airtel’s Wynk music app, Apple aims to tap into a larger audience and gain a stronger foothold in the highly competitive Indian music streaming market.
Apple Music, tailored to the Indian market with content that includes Bollywood and regional-language songs, faces stiff competition from other streaming services such as Spotify and Gaana. While Spotify currently leads the market with 3 million paid users in India, Apple Music is aiming to increase its user base through the partnership with Airtel. This move represents Apple’s commitment to establishing a stronger presence in the growing Indian music streaming industry.
In addition to music streaming, Apple is also looking to enhance its video streaming services in India. With Apple TV+ competing against established players like Disney+ Hotstar and Netflix, the company faces challenges in attracting Indian viewers who are drawn to local content and regional films. Airtel’s plans to offer packages with free access to Apple TV+ may help increase its reach, but the service may still need further optimization to cater to local preferences and gain a stronger foothold in the Indian video streaming market.
While Apple’s partnership with Airtel is expected to benefit both companies, the specifics of the deal, including the per-user fee paid by Airtel to Apple, remain confidential. However, the collaboration is seen as a strategic move by Airtel to leverage its distribution strength while saving costs on licensing and content creation. As the Indian market continues to show promise for digital services, partnerships like this are likely to drive growth and innovation in the tech and telecom industries.
