Apple’s official stores in India, which are to be thrown open to the public next week, will be inaugurated by the company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tim Cook, highlighting the tech giant’s ambitions for the country as a growth market and manufacturing base, the media has reported. It is pertinent to note that this trip will be after a gap of seven years to India after Cook’s maiden visit in 2016.
According to a report by news agency Bloomberg, the Apple CEO is likely to preside over the opening of the twin outlets in Delhi and Mumbai, people familiar with the matter were quoted as saying, asking to remain anonymous discussing private plans.
Cook’s trip to India will coincide with iPhone exports from India jumping almost four times to cross $5 billion or more than Rs 40,000 crore in FY 2023, in the wake of increased local production of Apple iPhone models. According to an ET Telecom report, industry and trade experts suggest that Apple iPhone became the first brand to cross the $5 billion export mark from India, thus, highlighting the speed at which the Cupertino, California-based tech giant is ramping up its production in the country. Apple also locally assembles the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus in India.
Earlier this week, Apple officially announced the opening dates of its retail stores in Mumbai and Delhi, marking a significant retail expansion in the country. The iPhone maker has 522 stores across 25 countries and regions globally.
The new stores, Apple BKC in Mumbai and Apple Saket in Delhi, will open their doors to customers on April 18 and 20, respectively. Apple BKC, as the name suggests, will be located at the Bandra Kurla Complex (at the Jio World Drive Mall, to be specific) in South Mumbai, while Apple Saket will be located in South Delhi’s Saket.
The opening of the two new retail stores in India represents a significant milestone for Apple, which has been expanding its presence in the country over the past few years. With a growing market for technology products in India, the company is poised to take advantage of the increasing demand for its products and services.
Apple BKC will open on Tuesday, April 18, at 11 am IST, while Apple Saket will open for customers on April 20 at 10 am IST.