Apple to open first retail stores in India next week

Nearly two decades after Apple entered India, the iPhone-maker is ready to open its first set of retail stores in the South Asian market.

Apple will open Apple BKC, its Mumbai store, on April 18, and its Delhi outlet Apple Saket on April 20, the company said in a statement Tuesday.

Apple has long explored expansion into India, but curbed its enthusiasm because the market for premium smartphones and laptops remains tiny in the country. Even through India is the second-largest internet market, most smartphones that sell in the country are priced under $200.

India currently contributes little to Apple’s topline, but the iPhone maker has said in the past that it’s bullish about its prospects in the country. 

“These new retail locations mark a significant expansion in India that will offer great new ways to browse, discover, and buy Apple products with exceptional service and experiences for customers,” Apple said in a statement.

Apple has been aggressively hiring employees for its stores in India in recent months, according to recruitment posts. The company, which launched its online store in India in 2020, had initially planned to debut the first retail outlet in 2021 but delayed those plans after COVID struck.

The iPhone-maker is also pushing to turn India into a key hardware manufacturing hub for the company.

Apple’s contract manufacturing partners, Foxconn and Wistron, have ramped up local assembling for iPhone and other Apple gadgets in India in recent quarters. In a report last year, JP Morgan analysts estimated that Apple would expand its manufacturing capacity in India to produce 25% of all iPhones by 2025.

More to follow.

Apple to open first retail stores in India next week by Manish Singh originally published on TechCrunch