Apple Bets Big On India As Cook Opens 1st Store

Apple Inc. opened its first flagship store in India in a much-anticipated launch this week, that highlights the company’s growing aspirations to expand in the country it also hopes to turn into a potential manufacturing hub, Krutika Pathi reported for the Associated Press (AP).

Photo Insert: The launch of the Apple BKC store in Mumbai was graced by none other than CEO Tim Cook and Vice President for Retail Dierdre O'Brien.

The company’s CEO Tim Cook posed for photos with a few of the 100 or so Apple fans who had queued up outside the sprawling 20,000-sq. ft. store in India’s financial capital, Mumbai, its design inspired by the iconic black-and-yellow cabs unique to the city.

A second store will open Thursday in the national capital, New Delhi.

“India has such a beautiful culture and an incredible energy, and we’re excited to build on our long-standing history,” Cook said in a statement earlier.

The tech giant has been operating in India for more than 25 years, selling its product through authorized retailers and the website it launched a few years ago. But regulatory hurdles and the pandemic delayed its plans to open a flagship store.

The new stores are a clear signal of the company’s commitment to invest in India, the second-largest smartphone market in the world.

WEEKLY FEATURE : MVP Group Keeps Lights On During Pandemic