Apple Inc bets big on India as it opens first flagship store
Apple Inc. has opened its first flagship store in India
NEW DELHI (AP) — Apple Inc. opened its first flagship store in India in a much-anticipated launch Tuesday that highlights the company's growing aspirations to expand in the country it also hopes to turn into a potential manufacturing hub.
The company's CEO Tim Cook posed for photos with a few of the 100 or so Apple fans who had lined up outside the sprawling 20,000-square-foot store in India's financial capital, Mumbai, its design inspired by the iconic black-and-yellow cabs unique to the city. A second store will open Thursday in the national capital, New Delhi.
“India has such a beautiful culture and an incredible energy, and we’re excited to build on our long-standing history," Cook said in a statement earlier.
The tech giant has been operating in India for more than 25 years, selling its products through authorized retailers and the website it launched a few years ago. But regulatory hurdles and the pandemic delayed its plans to open a flagship store.
