Apple39;s new India content deal to boost digital content presence
Apple Music, Apple TV to be offered through Bharti Airtel
US tech giant builds iPhones in India but market share small
Apple lags Spotify, Disney in Indian content market

NEW DELHI, Sept 2 Reuters Apple39;s partnership with India39;s secondbiggest telecoms firm will give the iPhone maker a sorely needed boost in a content market where it lags far behind the likes of Spotify and Walt Disney.

The U.S. technology giant, working to boost revenue globally from services including apps, payments and media, is set to offer free music and video streaming to many of Bharti Airtel39;s 281 million customers.

The deal is likely to greatly expand the user base for Apple TV and Apple Music in a country where Apple has long emphasised the manufacturing side of business to diversify its supply chain beyond China.

Apple builds many of its iPhones in India yet its handsets make up just 6 of the country39;s 690 million smartphones, versus around 2 in 2019, Counterpoint Research data showed.

The move speaks of Apple39;s ambitions for India, said Nitesh Kripalani, former head of Amazon Prime Video in India. The strategy is a timetested method to catapult presence in markets it considers important.

In the U.S., Apple has offered Apple Music for free via some Verizon mobile data plans since 2019, and its Apple TV will feature in a Comcast streaming bundle from May.

In India, Apple Music will become available to…