Calcutta, April 7: Apple enthusiasts won’t have to wait till the company officially launches the iPad — the tablet computer that is wowing gizmo geeks in the US — in India.

Several e-commerce companies, including eBay and Bangalore-based 20North, are offering to deliver the Apple iPad to Indian homes right away. The prices quoted on these online shopping sites are much higher than that in the Apple stores. Consumers will need to pay the customs duty and shipping charges when they order the device.

A 16GB WiFi model of the iPad, which is the base model and priced at $499 (Rs 22,225) in an Apple stores, costs Rs 37,750 on the eBay site and Rs 38,372 at 20North. According to 20North, the price includes customs duty of Rs 4,356 and shipping and delivery charges of Rs 2,691. eBay has mentioned Rs 1,000 as shipping charges. The top model (64Gb WiFi) iPad, which is priced at $699 (Rs 31,133) by Apple, will cost Rs 49,750 at eBay and Rs 49,319 at 20North.

“iPad orders will ship out from the US starting April 15,” 20North said on its website. Apple has already announced that the next shipment is expected on April 15. According to eBay, the device will be bought at Aurora, Illinois, US and then shipped to India “ in sealed boxes”.

Technology experts say the WiFi device will work perfectly anywhere in the world. “It’s not a grey market deal. Anybody can buy the gizmo from an authorised reseller in the US and gift it to a friend who stays in India. It’s the same here. These e-commerce firms are buying the device in the US and shipping it to Indian consumers,” said one expert.

“Entrepreneurial sellers on eBay India have listed the Apple iPad as the hottest gizmo for Indian tech fans. Now, Indian consumers can get it shortly,” the eBay India spokesperson told The Telegraph.

According to 20North, “We’ve forged partnerships with some of the biggest and most trusted US retailers. So, it doesn’t matter how hard it is to get a product — if it’s available on any US website you will likely find it on 20North.”

“As we have not announced availability in India, the e-commerce sites are not authorised to sell the iPad,” an Apple spokesperson said in an email reply to a questionnaire.

However, buyers need not worry about the warranty. “The warranty will be valid in India only if the manufacturer provides an international warranty that is valid in India,” 20North said. Since the devices are bought from authorised dealers in the US, the products are genuine and come with a normal warranty.

Delivery time for each e-commerce firms is different. 20North's standard delivery time is 21-30 days.

eBay has also advertised for pre-orders of the yet-to-be launched iPad WiFi and 3G model.