Apple iPhone 3G makes its India debut

By Tony Tharakan

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Apple Inc's iPhone 3G made its debut in India on Friday minus the mass hysteria and winding queues that had marked its launch in the U.S., Europe and parts of Asia last month.

A midnight launch in the Indian capital drew a scant crowd but didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the four buyers who showed up at a Vodafone store in the city’s Connaught Place commercial district.

Rudra Khurana, a 14-year-old high school student, was among the first in the country to buy the iPhone a minute past midnight on Friday.

“I can’t wait to show it off at school, it’s way better than having a PlayStation,” said the jeans-clad teenager, standing next to his beaming father.

There was more drama in Mumbai where the launch of the device, which combines a music and video player, cellphone and web browser, was accompanied by a shower of confetti and cheerleaders waving red pom-poms.

Television pictures also showed onlookers jostling for a glimpse of the iPhone at a mall in Gurgaon on the outskirts of New Delhi.

Vodafone Essar, India's third-largest mobile operator, was selling the iPhone 3G at 31,000 rupees for the 8GB model, and 36,100 rupees for the 16GB model.