Apple in India: Tim Cook launches first-ever Apple store in Mumbai BKC, the second one to open in Delhi soon

The wait is finally over, as Apple’s first store made its debut in India. The iconic customer technology brand, Apple launched the country’s first retail store on Tuesday in Mumbai. This is the first ever Apple store in India, even after the brand entered India 25 years back with its products and services.

The inauguration of the store was done by the Chief Executive of the company, Tim Cook at a mall in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) business district at 11 am amid loud cheering from people gathered there. The launch also saw the tech company’s Senior Vice President for retail Deidre O’Brien.

Cook, dressed in a black t-shirt and grey pants opened the doors of the store to walk into a crowded foyer to pose for the media amid jovial cheers from 100-odd employees. He also started welcoming customers into the store; with company executives from other parts of the world standing there exhilarated.

Excitement had already reached fever pitch in the two weeks since the company announced the store's debut, with fans queued up at the mall since the morning to be among the first to shop there.

Cook posed for photographs with customers and shared brief greetings before welcoming them into the store, which is located within the Jio World Drive mall.

The Mumbai store will be followed by the launching of another retail outlet in New Delhi's Saket on Thursday, this week.
Tim Cook later took to his official Twitter account and celebrated their first India launch, calling Mumbai, energetic, creative and passionate.

“The energy, creativity, and passion in Mumbai is incredible! We are so excited to open Apple BKC — our first store in India”.

What took Apple so long to open its first store in India?

Previously, Apple was unable to launch a store in India due to governmental constraints and regulatory restrictions on single-brand retail. So far, it had outlets run by Indian partners such as Imagine and Future World. With Tuesday's launch and the upcoming Delhi launch Apple will become a full-stack player in India, handling everything from manufacturing to retail.

Why the launch of an Apple store in India is a big deal?

The two main reasons for the excitement over this maiden Apple launch in India are- employment and a push towards India-made iPhones. On Monday, the company claimed that it is “supporting over 1 million jobs in India” with its developer network.

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The actual sale of things takes a back seat at Apple Stores, with the emphasis instead on the experience. People can walk into the store and spend as much time as they like with the products, even asking questions and learning how to use an iPhone and MacBook.

Each store has many Apple Geniuses who handhold customers and give any technical advice they would need. They are there to help make the purchase decision too. These geniuses simply record the sale regardless of where the customers are. There are also regular 'Today At Apple' workshops with specialists to encourage people to use various features of Apple devices. These stores will sell the whole line of Apple products and accessories.

(With inputs from agencies)

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