KOLKATA | NEW DELHI: Apple is looking forward to opening company-owned stores in India, CEO Tim Cook said, reiterating the iPhone maker’s commitment to the country even after the government last month imposed more stringent localsourcing norms for foreign brands keen to set up their own outlets in one of the fastest-growing markets."In the first three quarters of this fiscal year, our iPhone sales in India were up 51 per cent year-on-year. We are looking forward to opening retail stores in India down the road and we see huge potential for that vibrant country," Cook told analysts during an earnings call on Tuesday. Apple’s fiscal year 2016 runs from September 27, 2015 to September 24, 2016.Apple has been carefully evaluating the new norms and Cook’s statement is a long-term intent and plan instead of something immediate, two people familiar with the matter said. Apple is still negotiating with the government, especially aspects such as the local-sourcing norms and other technicalities in the new policy, they said."It’s still evolution in progress regarding Apple retail stores in India. Apple wants a retail presence in India and that too for the long term, but with the current norms, it may take some time to decide since there is no clarity and guidance yet by when Apple will be in a position to start sourcing from the country. Something immediately is unlikely," one of the people said.ET reported earlier this month that the new norms are actually a disadvantage for technology giants such as Apple. Under the older rules, local sourcing was waived for companies selling products with cutting-edge and state-of-the-art technology. However, the new norms allow only a three-year exemption. After that, 30 per cent of the average value of goods purchased over the next five years will have to be procured locally and subsequently, this level of local sourcing will have to be met annually.During the call, Cook said he was encouraged by the prospects in India and China during his recent visit to these countries. The company said iPhone sales during the April-June quarter grew in double digits in key markets, including India, Japan, Turkey, Brazil, Canada and Sweden.Apple also reported "healthy growth" in revenue during the quarter in markets such as India, Russia, Brazil, Turkey and Canada. Cook reiterated that Apple has launched a centre to support Indian developers creating applications for its iOS operating system and has opened an office in Hyderabad to accelerate map development.Experts said Apple would want Indian consumers to have the same experience as those in other countries where it has stores. The experience will set Apple stores apart from the premium resellers that are selling its products in India, said Technopak Advisors chairman Arvind Singhal."And it’s not just about iPhones — Apple has a lot of products that can be sold through its own stores. The only challenge I see is the availability of retail space. Many malls would be happy to have Apple as its anchor tenant, but that would depend on whether any of their anchor tenant leases expires anytime soon. So, they may have to wait for getting the space they want," said Singhal.