Apple opens first flagship store in India
Apple CEO Tim Cook was in Mumbai on Tuesday to open the company’s first retail store in India.
“India has such a beautiful culture and incredible energy, and we are excited to build on our long-standing history,” Cook said in a statement.
Bloggers, technology analysts and Bollywood celebrities were invited to the opening of the new store at Jio World Drive mall in Mumbai.
Around 300 Apple fans were seen lining up outside the store, some of them waiting since the night before.
“The fanboy inside me wouldn’t listen,” Purav Mehta, 30, who wanted Cook’s autograph, told Reuters news agency.
A second store will open in the capital, New Delhi, on Thursday. Cook is also expected to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India’s deputy IT minister later this week.
Eyeing the Indian market
Most of Apple’s smartphones and tablets are assembled in China, but the tech giant also has plans to expand production in India.
The South Asian country of 1.4 billion people is also the world’s second-largest smartphone market.
Apple has operated in India for over 25 years and started manufacturing products there in 2017.
According to Counterpoint Research, India produces about 13 million iPhones every year, up from less than 5 million three years ago.
The tech giant sells its products in India online and through authorized retailers, but regulatory clearances and the pandemic have delayed its plan to open a flagship store in the country.
Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said last week that Apple plans for 25% of its global production to come from India over the next five years.
mf/nm (AP, Reuters)
Source: DW
Lori Barajas is an accomplished journalist, known for her insightful and thought-provoking writing on economy. She currently works as a writer at 247 news reel. With a passion for understanding the economy, Lori’s writing delves deep into the financial issues that matter most, providing readers with a unique perspective on current events.