Airtel may beat Vodafone in the iPhone race in India

After Vodafone, its now turn of Bharti Airtel to sign a deal with Apple Inc. to bring in the much-awaited iPhone to India.

As per media reports, it is expected that Airtel will bring the iPhone by Diwali 2008 while Vodafone will bring it by late 2008, thus giving Airtel first-mover advantage.

It is also expected to benefit Indian consumers as the deal means Apple does not have an exclusive partner for Indian iPhone services, thus bringing in more competition and cheaper rates.

It is also expected that the deal may further reduce the prices of iPhone in grey market in India.