Apple's plan to gain a greater foothold in India by selling refurbished phones has been blocked by Indian regulators. Competitors claimed the plan would go against India's focus on boosting local manufacturing sectors and it seems those points convinced the telecommunications ministry to rule against Apple.

The country's Made-in-India program would have been undermined if Apple brought old refurbished iPhones into the market, according to competitors.

Apple is now looking for other ways to boost its presence in the country. It's still unable to open retail stores in India, but that may change soon.