Apple in India: Tim Cook inaugurates company's first retail store in Mumbai amid 'incredible energy'

Earlier, customers in India had to rely on the online medium or a network of resellers to buy Apple products.

Cook on Tuesday waved to the customers who gathered outside the store for its opening. Media reports said he is likely to meet PM Narendra Modi and India's deputy IT minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar during this ongoing visit to India after seven years. 

Reports said bloggers from across the country flew down to Mumbai to witness the inauguration.

The inauguration ceremony was marked by local music and folk dance music.

Cook tweeted, "The energy, creativity, and passion in Mumbai is incredible! We are so excited to open Apple BKC — our first store in India."

Apple had been eying the Indian market for long as Tom said he was bullish about the world’s fifth-largest economy though its overall 2022 market share stood at 4.5%.

In the fourth quarter of 2022, Apple sold two million phones in India, up 18% sequentially, according to CyberMedia Research (CMR). iPhone 13 was the top-selling product in the overall Indian smartphone market in 2022 October. The company grew 16% YoY in 2022.

Located in Mumbai’s bustling Bandra Kurla Complex financial, arts, and entertainment district, Apple BKC will serve as a dynamic space where customers can come together, explore Apple products and services, enjoy exceptional service, and learn how to get more out of their devices through free Today at Apple sessions, the company said.

“At Apple, our customers are at the center of everything we do, and our teams are excited to celebrate this wonderful moment with them as we open our first retail store in India,” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail. “Apple BKC is a reflection of Mumbai’s vibrant culture and brings together the best of Apple in a beautiful, welcoming space for connection and community.”

Apple BKC is designed to be one of the most energy-efficient Apple Store locations in the world, with a dedicated solar array and zero reliance on fossil fuels for store operations. The store is operationally carbon neutral, running on 100 percent renewable energy.

Apple BKC is designed to be one of the most energy-efficient Apple Store locations in the world, with a dedicated solar array and zero reliance on fossil fuels for store operations, it said.

Cook was on Monday treated with vada pav by India's iconic actor Madhuri Dixit Nene.

Madhuri introduced Cook to the delights of vada pav at Swati Snacks, a local eatery with two outlets in Mumbai.

Dixit tweeted a photo of herself and Tim Cook, each with vada pav in hand and a table full of plates.

"Can't think of a better welcome to Mumbai than Vada Pav," Madhuri Dixit tweeted. "Thanks for introducing me to my first Vada Pav – it was delicious," replied Tim Cook.

Cook is scheduled to inaugurate Apple's second retail store in Delhi on Thursday.

Images: Apple Newsroom