Apple inaugurates first retail store in Mumbai

Mumbai:  Apple set its first retail store in India focusing the local market in Mumbai on Tuesday. As the opening ceremony started a larger number of people gathered outside its office in a bid to make first entry into the office.

The store was setup in Reliance-owned Jio Word Drive Mall in Mumbai.

The local people took huge interest as they took selfies with Apple CEO Tim Cook who was there to inaugurate the store and open its gates himself.

Taking to Twitter, Cook said, "The energy, creativity, and passion in Mumbai is incredible! We are so excited to open ... our first store in India."

The energy, creativity, and passion in Mumbai is incredible! We are so excited to open Apple BKC — our first store in India. pic.twitter.com/talx2ZQEMl

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) April 18, 2023

The opening ceremony featured the Indian music and folk dancers, and the people enjoyed it a lot. Initially, the store was opened for tech analysts and bloggers where many Indian media celebrities took part and held meeting with Tim Cook.

There was a long queue outside the store as people gathered there overnight despite that the products were available online.

The store was part of major expansion of its presence in India.

Cook who was on his first trip to India said they were quite excited to build their longstanding history. Interestingly, the visitors at the store wore shirts of Steve Jobs and one person appeared there even with the first Apple computer that was launched in 1984.

According to the reports, people travelled hundreds of kilometers to take part in the opening ceremony.

The online store was opened in India three years ago in 2020 and it faced troubles in opening its physical store there. The reports suggested that CEO Cook would call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the deputy IT minister later this week.

India is the second largest smartphone users’ market after China and the objective of opening the store is aimed at reducing the supply chain dependence on China.

Canalys say that Apple’s iPhones had just a 4 per cent share in the local market as compared to Chinese Xiaomi, Viv, OPPO and Realme which had 66 per cent share of the market last year. The Samsung had a 19 per cent market share.  Sanyam Chaurasia, Canalys analyst, said that Apple could take advantage from the premiumisation of India's smartphone market and financing schemes for both retailers and consumers.

He believes that Apple is relying upon the Indian market because they see more opportunity.

Cook had earlier said that India is main market for them and they focused it, adding that they were in essence taking what they learned in China years ago and how they scale and bringing that to bear.

Apple, he said, was putting huge efforts for space in India.