Excitement builds around opening of Apple's first retail store in Mumbai

MUMBAI: The anticipation around the opening of India's first Apple store was palpable in Mumbai's Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) on Tuesday, as people were spotted waiting patiently in serpentine queues outside the store.

Apple's Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook on Monday expressed his excitement on Twitter and posted a photograph with his team from the Mumbai store.

He tweeted, "Hello, Mumbai! We can't wait to welcome our customers to the new Apple BKC (Bandra Kurla Complex) tomorrow." He also posted a photograph of him and the whole team of the Mumbai store, along with the tweet.

Apple's Mumbai store will open at 11 am while the Delhi outlet will be thrown open for customers at 10 am on Thursday.

The US tech giant launched its first online store in India in 2020 and was supposed to launch its physical stores soon after but plans were stalled due to the Covid pandemic.

Apple's second outlet in India will be inaugurated on Thursday at Delhi's Saket Mall.

The first-ever brick-and-mortar retail outlets in India will mark a significant expansion of the US tech giant in the country, offering their personalised services and experiences to customers.

Apple is leveraging India's electronics market growth and has been heavily focusing on manufacturing its products in the country. Apple started manufacturing its latest iPhone 14 models in India, just days after it had a global unveiling.

In India, the US tech giant is partnering with the top three global smartphone manufacturers -- Wistron, Foxconn, and Pegatron.