Apple Opens India’s First Apple Store, CEO Tim Cook in Attendance

Summary:

  • Apple has opened its first retail store in India, located in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex district.
  • The store is eco-friendly, running on 100% renewable energy with a dedicated solar array on the exterior.
  • The store will host Today at Apple sessions and could help Apple’s global revenue growth, while also diversifying its supply chain away from China.

Apple has officially opened its doors to Apple BKC, the first Apple Store in India. The retail location is centred in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex financial, arts, and entertainment district. Apple CEO Tim Cook made the trip to open the store and celebrate the occasion.

According to BNN Bloomberg, Cook was in attendance when Apple BKC opened its doors. Cook took the time to hug customers and take selfies with them. Staff were onsite chanting “BKC! BKC!” and drumming up excitement.

Apple BKC is designed to be one of Apple’s most energy-efficient Apple Store locations around the world. It is built with a dedicated solar array on the exterior and has zero reliance on fossil fuels. The retail location is carbon neutral and runs on 100 percent renewable energy.

Over 100 staff have been hired to work at Apple BKC and collectively speak more than 20 languages. Starting Apple BKC will host a number of Today at Apple sessions through the summer. Dubbed “Mumbai Rising”, the sessions include:

  • Music Lab: Deep Listening in Urban Spaces with Sandunes
  • Photo Lab: Portraits of Resistance with Prarthna Singh
  • Design Lab: Every Poster Tells a Story with Boomranng Studio
  • Art Lab: Drawing Homage to Mumbai with Kohla

The opening of Apple BKC marks an important milestone for Apple and its relationship in India. The Cupertino company has been looking at India as a way to diversify its supply chain. In an effort to move its dependence away from China, Apple has already begun to scale the production of iPhone 14 in India. It’s reported that Apple hopes India may help revive its global revenue growth. Apple’s sales in India hit nearly $6 billion in the year through March.

The opening of Apple BKC was a long road as Apple had to gain the green light from regulators and meet the demands. Sourcing products locally was a firm stipulation from India’s regulatory bodies. Though, the benefits of now offering a retail location in the country could pay off in a big way. It’s reported Apple’s iPhone sales could climb nearly 17 percent across the next 10 years. This could result in Apple reaching $30 billion in sales within India.

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