Earlier this year, Apple received the green signal to open its first retail store in India. Fast forward to now, the company has confirmed that the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai would be its first home in the country.
The next Apple-operated store will be located in the Maker Maxity Mall, which is located in the heart of the mall and is co-owned by Reliance Industries. It is also close to the Apple office in Mumbai.
Some preliminary details of the flagship store were also revealed via the Economic Times. Apple has leased about 20,000 to 25,000 square feet of free space from BKC for the store, which will expand over three floors. It will be an "au pair" with Apple stores in Hong Kong, each level fulfilling a different function. One floor will be a dedicated experience center allowing people to discover the latest Apple products. Another for retail and the top floor will be a service center.
It will be by far the largest Apple store in the country, surpassing the 8,000-square-foot flagship Apple Premium flagship store, located on High Street Phoenix, which opened in August.
(Image credit: future)
It will be the first Apple-run store in India, but others should follow in major cities like New Delhi. Previously, the rules required foreign companies with more than 51% foreign direct investment (FDI) to supply / manufacture locally at least 30% of the products they sell in India. However, a reform approved in August allowed single-brand licensees to also include exports and contract manufacturing in the supply process (30%).
"We love our Indian customers and want to serve them online and in store with the same expertise and care as Apple customers around the world. We appreciate the support and hard work of Prime Minister Modi and his team in making this possible, and we hope to one day welcome our customers to the first Apple store in India. We will need some time to complete our projects and we will have more to announce at a later date. "