Apple CEO Tim Cook has opened the company’s first official retail store in the national capital, Delhi, located in the Select Citywalk Mall in the Saket neighborhood.
The store’s design takes inspiration from Delhi’s many gates. While the Saket store is smaller than the one opened in Mumbai, it is staffed by more than 70 highly skilled retail team members who collectively speak more than 15 languages.
Sources siad that the Apple Saket store in Delhi is half the size of the Mumbai store where the company will pay a portion of total sales from the store as rent or Rs 40 lakh per month, whichever is higher.
Cook during his visit met Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the iPhone manufacturer is looking to invest more in the world’s second-largest smartphone market.
Thank you Prime Minister @narendramodi for the warm welcome. We share your vision of the positive impact technology can make on India’s future — from education and developers to manufacturing and the environment, we’re committed to growing and investing across the country. pic.twitter.com/xRSjc7u5Ip
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) April 19, 2023
According to government sources, the iPhone maker is likely to double the employment base at its contract manufacturers in India to around 2 lakh soon.
Cook, on his first trip to India in seven years, opened Apple’s first official retail store in the country in Mumbai on Tuesday .
What an incredible reception, Delhi, thank you! We’re delighted to welcome our customers to our newest store—Apple Saket! pic.twitter.com/5Jmi79ixzl
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) April 20, 2023
Cook had last visited India in 2016 when the tech giant was just beginning to scale up operations in the country.
Looking to replicate what China did to Apple’s business in the last 15 years, the tech giant is eyeing India’s massive market with an expanding middle class to power sales growth, and potentially make it a home base for the production of millions of Apple devices.
Cook during his visit met Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
As per the sources, Cook has sought government support to widen its components supplier base in India.
Apple CEO is learnt to have also discussed manufacturing facilities and app design and development accelerator in Bengaluru with both ministers. (With inputs from PTI)
