Apple has unveiled its first official store in India in Mumbai.
Major milestone
With this, the tech giant has achieved a milestone in its pursuit to expand its presence in one of the world’s fastest-growing smartphone markets.
This is all the more notable since thus far the company’s brick-and-mortar retail footprint had been limited to resellers.
Design inspiration
The flagship store is located in the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai and will be open to customers soon.
.”Inspired by the iconic Kaali Peeli taxi art unique to Mumbai, the Apple BKC creative includes colourful interpretations of the decals combined with many Apple products and services that will be available for our customers to discover,” the company said.
What’s on offer?
Customers will be able to shop for a range of products and services, including the latest iPhone 14 models, MacBooks, iPads, AirPods, Apple Watches, Apple TVs and HomePods.
They can also access Apple’s storied trade-in program.
Crossing regulatory hurdles
The launch of this store comes after years of regulatory hurdles and negotiations with the Indian government.
It had to comply with local sourcing norms that require foreign companies to source at least 30 per cent of their components from domestic suppliers.
Going head to head with Android giants
Apple also had to compete with other smartphone brands that have a larger market share and lower prices in India
According to Counterpoint Research, Apple had a 4 per cent share of the Indian smartphone market in 2022.
It trailed behind Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo and Oppo.
How the store will benefit Apple
At the same time it saw a 35 per cent year-on-year growth in its shipments, driven by strong demand for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models.
Analysts expect the opening of the Apple Store to boost its brand image and customer loyalty in India, as well as attract more developers and creators to its ecosystem.
