“The stars are aligned” as tech pundits and insiders like to say on Apple’s first retail stores in India which will open in Mumbai and Delhi this week, a move that would get the Cupertino-based company closer to the market with one of the youngest populations in the world. As India’s economy is expected to have solid growth, with its 1.4 billion population, combined with the market’s increasing appetite for high-end smartphones, Apple is seeking to thrive in a market that offers many untapped opportunities for brands like it.
Apple will open its first store in India in Mumbai on Tuesday, followed by the second one in Delhi on Thursday. The Mumbai store will cover well over 22,000 square feet inside the Jio World Drive Mall, an upscale mall owned by India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani. The retail outlet is a beautiful one, featuring a triangular handcrafted timber ceiling that extends beyond the glass façade to the underside of the exterior canopy. According to Apple, each tile is made from 408 pieces of timber, forming 31 modules per tile with a total of 1,000 tiles that make up the ceiling. In fact, there are over 450,000 individual timber elements, all of which were assembled in Delhi.
“Our products and services are made to enable our customers to pursue their passions,” said Deirdre O’Brien, Senior Vice-President, Retail, Apple, while addressing the media ahead of the opening of the store in Bandra Kurla Complex.
The Mumbai store is staffed by a team of 100 that speak 20 languages between them. Visitors are greeted by tree-lined seating areas and a 14-meter-long stainless steel staircase connecting the ground level and the cantilevered mezzanine.
The flagship store, just like Apple’s other retail stores in key locations including Dubai and London, will be a cross between a retail store and an education centre, which Apple calls a “Town Square.” Just as with its other flagship locations, Apple’s stores in India will include the new Genius Grove, which is essentially a redesigned Genius Bar, as well as a new in-store experience called “Today at Apple.” Apple will also begin offering educational workshops and events, including sessions for photography, music, gaming, and app development.
Apple is known for maintaining a tight grip on the sales and distribution of its products. The company operates over 500 directly run stores globally. Until now, consumers in India had to buy iPhones, iPads, and Macs through resellers, online, or when on a trip abroad.
Gaining a foothold in India gives brands like Apple access to a broader customer base. The global consumer tech industry has become increasingly reliant on India’s aspirational consumers to drive growth, as 65 per cent of Indians are under 35 years old.
In India, Apple commands a lion’s share in the premium smartphone segment which saw double-digit growth despite India’s overall smartphone market seeing a decline, according to experts. In particular, the growth is fuelled by a boom in iPhone sales, especially older generation models which continue to be the golden ticket for reaching young consumers.
Apple’s opening its retail stores in India comes at a time when the company is investing heavily in expanding its manufacturing base in the country. For years, Apple had relied on China’s manufacturing prowess to mass-produce iPhones, iPads and other popular products. But its dependence on the country was tested last year due to Beijing’s strict zero-Covid strategy.
Apple has been manufacturing iPhones in India since 2017, but last year the company began assembling its flagship iPhone 14 in the country. JPMorgan analysts predict Apple could make 25 per cent of all iPhones globally in India by 2025.
