India is buzzing with excitement as Apple’s CEO Tim Cook landed in Mumbai to inaugurate the company’s first-ever retail store in the country.
The highly anticipated store opening marks a significant milestone for Apple, as it expands its footprint in one of the world’s fastest-growing smartphone markets. India is expected to have 1 billion smartphone users by 2026.
Tim Cook delighted nearly 200 devoted fans who had lined up outside the 2,600-square-meter Apple store located in the heart of Mumbai’s financial capital. Apple will open a second retail store in New Delhi on April 20.
At the event, Indian Apple fans snapped selfies with Tim Cook. Some visitors had their hair cut in the shape of an Apple logo and one fan even brought a version of the first Apple computer launched in 1984.
“India has such a beautiful culture and an incredible energy,” Cook said. “We’re excited to build on our long-standing history — supporting our customers, investing in local communities, and working together to build a better future.”
The tech giant has been operating in India for more than 25 years. In 2020, Apple announced plans for an Indian retail outlet, which was delayed due to the COVID pandemic.
Apple store in Mumbai
The beautifully designed store featured the latest iPhone, Mac, iPad, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple TV lineups, as well as accessories like AirTag. The store offers Apple Pickup, which makes it easier to place an order online and pick up products when it’s most convenient for customers.
Apple’s first retail store in India is a remarkable feat of sustainability. This impressive building is one of the most energy-efficient Apple Store locations in the world and boasts a dedicated solar array. It operates entirely on renewable energy, making it operationally carbon neutral.
Why is Apple moving production away from China to India?
U.S. tech giant Apple has sped up diversifying its global supply chain by shifting its production from China to India to reduce Apple’s reliance on Beijing due to increasing geopolitical and economic tensions between the United States and China. Beijing’s stringent zero-COVID policies and Washington’s push to reduce dependence on China’s tech industry have had a significant impact on global supply chains, leading many companies including Apple to diversify and future-proof their supply chains.
Apple accounted for a quarter of all Indian-made smartphone sales by value last year, according to Counterpoint Research data. In the last fiscal year, Apple produced iPhones worth $7 billion in India, Bloomberg reported, tripling its production in the country. Apple has already tapped three of its main assembly partners from Taiwan, Foxconn, Pegatron, and Wistron, to manufacture its devices in India.
With a market capitalization of $2.6 trillion, Apple is the biggest global tech company and worth more than some G-7 countries’ entire economies.
