The Indian government has reportedly rejected smartphone giant Apple's request to sell refurbished iPhones in India. According to a report in Bloomberg, "The US company's application has been turned down." The report quotes telecommunications ministry officials.

Apple had sought permission from the government to import pre-owned iPhones for sale in India. In a written reply to Rajya Sabha telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "An application from Apple regarding import of certified pre-owned iPhones for sale in India and manufacturing certified pre-owned iPhones for sale in India has been received in the ministry of environment and forests."

The decision is said to have involved several ministries as well as the Prime Minister's Office. Earlier this month, the Department of Electronics and Information Technology had told the environment ministry and the director general of Foreign Trade that it does not support the import of second-hand consumer products as they contribute to electronic waste being dumped in India.

Source :timesofindia.indiatimes.com