Apple Inc. on Tuesday announced the opening dates of its two new retail stores in India. The iPhone maker will open its doors to customers at Mumbai's BKC on April 18, and Delhi's Saket on April 20.
The barricade for Apple Saket was revealed this morning and features a unique design that takes inspiration from Delhi's many gates, each signifying a new chapter to the city's storied past.
"The colourful artwork celebrates Apple's second store in India — located right in the nation's capital," the company says in a statement. "Beginning April 20, customers will be able to stop by to explore Apple's latest product lineup, find creative inspiration, and get personalised service and support from the store's team of Specialists, Creatives, and Geniuses," it says.
These new retail locations mark a significant expansion in India that will offer great new ways to browse, discover, and buy Apple products with exceptional service and experiences for customers, the statement adds.
The opening of the two new Apple stores comes at a time when the iPhone maker's India business set a quarterly revenue record and grew very strong double digits year-over-year. "India is a hugely exciting market for us and is a major focus. We brought the online store there in 2020. We will soon bring Apple retail there," Apple CEO Tim Cook said in an earnings call in February.
The Cupertino, California-headquartered tech giant is putting a lot of emphasis on the Indian market. "There's been a lot done from financing options and trade-ins to make products more affordable and give people more options to buy. And so there's a lot going on there," the Apple CEO said.
"We actually did fairly well through COVID in India. And I'm even more bullish now on the other side of it, or hopefully, on the other side of it. And that's the reason why we're investing there. We're bringing retail there and bringing the online store there and putting a significant amount of energy there," he added.
To celebrate the first Apple Store opening in India, Apple BKC has announced a 'Today at Apple' series — 'Mumbai Rising' — running from opening day through the summer. Bringing visitors, local artists, and creatives together, these sessions will offer hands-on activities with Apple's products and services that celebrate the local community and culture in Mumbai.
Customers can download custom Apple BKC and Apple Saket wallpapers, specially curated playlists on Apple Music to move to the sounds of Mumbai and Delhi.
According to Apple chief financial officer Luca Maestri, the company set an all-time iPhone revenue record in India. The installed base of active iPhones continues to grow and is at an all-time high across all geographic segments, Maestri said in the December quarter earnings call. "In emerging markets, in particular, the installed base grew double digits, and we had record levels of switchers in India and in Mexico," the Apple CFO said.
