Apple today opened the doors of its first official retail store in India. The Cupertino company has previously served its customers in India through Apple Authorized Stores, but the Apple Store experience is said to be a very different experience. Apple’s first official retail store, dubbed Apple BKC, located at Jio World Drive Mall in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai, opened Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. IST. The store not only stocks every single product and accessory sold by Apple in India will also host free Today at Apple sessions to help customers learn more about their devices.
Tuesday saw the inauguration of the Apple store droves of fans and eager customers waiting to get their first glimpse of the first Apple-powered outlet. Apple CEO Tim Cook was also present at the inauguration of the store and according to a earlier report will also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week.
The concept of the Apple Store is definitely one first for India. And the iPhone maker seems to have done enough to make it appear and feel special. The tech giant claims that Apple BKC was designed to be one of the most energy-efficient Apple Store locations in the world. The store has its own solar system and is independent of fossil fuels, according to Apple. Apple says its business is operationally carbon neutral as it runs on 100 percent renewable energy.
The unique triangular ceiling consists of 408 pieces of wood forming 31 modules per tile with a total of 1,000 tiles making up the ceiling, all of which were assembled in Delhi, according to the company. There are Rajasthani stone walls and a unique 14 meter stainless steel staircase.
In the store, Apple has all of its products on display, including the latest product lines for iPhone, Mac, iPad, AirPods, Apple Watch and Apple TV. There are lots of accessories for this. Also available in the Apple Store is the Apple Pickup feature, which allows customers to pick up products purchased online from the store itself. In addition, free “Today at Apple” sessions are available in its store to help customers better understand the products. At today’s launch, Apple will host special sessions as part of its “Mumbai Rising” series. These include a music lab, a photo lab, a design lab, and an art lab.
The launch of the Apple Store coincides with the brand celebrating its 25th anniversary in India. Apple BKC is one of two official retail stores. Apple started manufacturing iPhones in India through contract manufacturers from 2017 and its exports from India estimated to have surpassed US$5 billion (approximately Rs.400 billion) in the 2022-23 financial year. The second store will open its doors at 10:00 am IST on April 20 in Saket, New Delhi at Select City Walk Mall, according to the company.
