Apple’s Head of Sales in India Sanjay Kaul has stepped down from his position, according to industry sources. He will be succeeded by Michel Coulomb, who has been associated with the company for more than a decade.
Kaul’s departure comes at a time when the company reportedly is under pressure due to slow sales in India, especially in the recent quarter.
The company is said to be adversely impacted by the demonetisation drive late last year and underwhelming demand for its latest smartphones, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X.
Apple India posted sales of Rs 11,619 crore ($1.8 billion) for the year ended March 2017, up from Rs 9,937 crore in the year-ago period (translating to roughly 17% growth), Reuters reported last week. The numbers, however, are significantly down from the 40% growth rate the company had maintained in the country.
During the company’s earnings call last month, CEO Tim Cook had said, “…revenue from emerging markets outside of greater China was up 40%, with great momentum in India, where revenue doubled year over year.”