After Apple, you may soon find LeEco stores in India soon

Chinese smartphone maker LeEco has shown interest in opening single retail stores in India, after the country relaxed local sourcing norms.

LeEco has filed an application with the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) to set up its retail stores in India.

LeEco has given its nod to India’s revised local sourcing norms, which Apple has yet to take a final call on. This may soon get processed as Tim Cook is keen to open Apple’s stores in India soon.

If approved, LeEco is planning to open at least eight flagship stores by December with its complete range and also convert the current online store Lemall.com run by a partner into a company-owned entity.

LeEco India chief operating officer, Atul Jain, told ET, “We have made a revised application to FIPB seeking exemption from local sourcing under the cutting-edge and state-of-the-art technology domain. We have already given details about our technology prowess and hope to receive the approval soon.”

Also, LeEco wants to set up 500 brand stores in India through franchisee route, "We have covered 2,000 cellphone stores in six cities," said Jain.