India harvest helps Apple offset global shipment drought

New Delhi: India proved to be a bright spot for Apple Inc. in the March quarter with a nearly 40% surge in shipments defying the global trend of a nearly 10% decline triggered by losses in China and other mature markets.

iPhone shipments in India, the world’s second largest smartphone market, rose to 2.5 million units in the March quarter from 1.8 million units a year earlier, according to industry estimates.