Although Delhi buys more iPhones than Mumbai, the Apple Store in the national capital is a poorer cousin of the one in the financial hub.
As Apple took the wraps off its retail store in Delhi's Select City Walk Mall on April 19 for a media preview, journalists and tech influencers swarmed the entrance of the store. But, those who expected a similar razzmataz as Mumbai were left visibly disappointed. The store is set to open for customers on April 20.
Estimated to be around 8,400 square feet in carpet area, the Delhi store is just more than a third of the over 20,000 square feet and multi-floored store in Mumbai.
Yet, the Select City Mall store lords over its peers in the shopping complex, where most of the outlets are 1,500-2,000 square feet in size.
Read: Apple BKC store opens in Mumbai, signaling the iPhone maker's growing India ambitions
Apple Saket will have more than 70 team members, who come from a combined 18 states across India and collectively speak more than 15 languages, the company said.
“We’re thrilled to bring the best of Apple to our customers in Delhi with the opening of our second store in India, Apple Saket,” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s Senior Vice-President of Retail. “Our incredible team members look forward to connecting with the local community and helping them find new ways to pursue their passions and unleash their creativity through our amazing products and services.”
What's in store?
The store opens through a uniquely designed curved storefront with white oak tables that display Apple’s products and accessories, as well as a feature wall manufactured in the country.
The company said the store is designed with materials sourced from the region, including the tables and wood feature wall. It also runs on 100 percent renewable energy and is carbon neutral.
Similar to the Mumbai store, Apple Saket also offers a dedicated Apple Pickup station that will enable customers to place an order online and pick up products from the physical store.
The store will also feature a Genius Bar to provide hands-on technical and hardware support. Customers can make a reservation to get help from an expert on a range of things including setting up a device, recovering an Apple ID, selecting an AppleCare plan, or modifying their Apple subscriptions.
The opening of these stores signals the iPhone maker's growing ambitions in the world's second-largest smartphone market, which has grown in importance for the company in terms of both sales and manufacturing capabilities in recent years.
Also Read: Tim Cook opens Apple’s first India store to the beat of dhols
Apple said last week that the launch of new stores marks a significant expansion of its operations in the country that will allow customers new ways to browse, discover, and buy the company's products with "exceptional" service and experiences.
Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook is also visiting the country after nearly seven years to inaugurate these outlets. During his India trip, Cook is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
On April 17, he met India's top business minds, including Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani and Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran.
Also Read: Apple’s first India store 'Apple BKC' will be one of its most sustainable in the world
Cook's visit to India comes at a time when Apple has clocked record revenue growth in terms of iPhone sales in India in recent quarters. Apple's sales in India are reported to have jumped to nearly $6 billion in FY23 from $4 billion in FY22.
The company is also doubling down on India to become a key global manufacturing hub amid plans to diversify manufacturing beyond China. Apple exported about $5-$5.5 billion worth of iPhones from India in FY23, accounting for nearly half of the country's mobile phone exports, according to industry estimates.
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