APPLE opened its first retail store in India on Tuesday, underscoring the US tech titan's increasing focus on the South Asian nation as a key sales market and alternative manufacturing hub to China.
Apple CEO Tim Cook personally opened the doors to welcome customers as staff cheered.
Hundreds of admirers of the iPhone giant queued around the store in a swanky shopping mall in the financial capital Mumbai, some of them waiting overnight.
The California-based firm is betting big on the nation of 1.4 billion people, home to the second-highest number of smartphone users in the world, after China with a second store to open in the capital Delhi on Thursday.
The world's biggest company in terms of market value is also expanding its manufacturing footprint in India as it seeks to diversify its supply chain away from a heavy dependence on neighbouring China.
Apple called the stores a "major expansion" of its presence in India in a statement on Monday.
"We're excited to build on our longstanding history," Cook said in the statement.
Apple launched its online store in India in 2020, but had not opened an official physical shop until now due to previous investment rules, since relaxed, requiring foreign retailers to source 30 percent of raw materials locally, and pandemic delays.
Sales and marketing executive Purav Mehta, 30, camped overnight outside the store ahead of the opening, bringing with him his still-unopened 2013 iPod Touch.
"We've been looking forward to it... for a long time we've been waiting for this," he told AFP.
Stationery dealer Madhav Mimani, 27, travelled about 900 kilometres (560 miles) from Rajasthan for the event.
"I think with Apple manufacturing in India, the prices are going to go down because it's local manufacturing, which makes the iPhones affordable," he said.
"It also increases chances of the Indians buying iPhones made in India because of the sentimental value."
India has more than 600 million smartphone users, with Android devices dominating the price-sensitive market.
Chinese smartphone makers Xiaomi, vivo, OPPO and realme had a combined market share of 66 percent in 2022, according to research firm Canalys, while Samsung held a 19 percent share.
Apple's iPhones compete in the premium segment of the market and had just a four percent share last year.
But Canalys analyst Sanyam Chaurasia told AFP that Apple could benefit from the premiumisation of India's smartphone market and financing schemes for both retailers and consumers.
"Apple is emphasising more on the Indian market because they see more opportunity," he said.
- Supply chain -
Cook said in a February earnings call that "India is a hugely exciting market for us and is a major focus".
"We are, in essence, taking what we learned in China years ago and how we scale... and bringing that to bear.
Apple was "putting a significant amount of energy" into India, he added, saying he was "very bullish" on the country.
India is also becoming central to Apple's plans to shift its production of devices and components away from China amid diplomatic tensions between Washington and Beijing and the supply chain fallout from strict Covid policies.
Just one percent of Apple's iPhones were made in India in 2021, but that jumped to seven percent last year, Bloomberg News reported last week, citing sources.
The company began manufacturing iPhones in India in 2017 through Taiwanese suppliers Foxconn, Wistron and Pegatron.
Foxconn said in March that its chairman had visited India but there was no "definitive agreement" for investments in the country after the chief minister of Karnataka in the south said iPhones would be manufactured in his state.
ETX Studio
Wed Apr 19 2023
Apple CEO Tim Cook reacts after seeing a Macintosh SE computer held by Sajid Moinuddin, a fan of Apple products, during the inauguration of India's first Apple retail store in Mumbai, India, April 18, 2023. - REUTERS
Kertas kabinet wujud sektor sukan dibentang dalam tempoh sebulan - Hannah
Hannah berkata dengan data yang lebih menyeluruh melibatkan sektor industri sukan nanti, pihaknya akan mampu merangsang pertumbuhan sukan di negara ini dengan lebih baik.
Tiga Syarikat Semikonduktor umum melabur di Pulau Pinang - Kon Yeow
Tiga syarikat semikonduktor dari China menyatakan komitmen untuk membuat pelaburan baharu di Pulau Pinang.
Pindaan garis panduan lawatan: Sekolah diharap susun semula program - Fadhlina
Semua sekolah diharap dapat menyusun semula program lawatan masing-masing berikutan pindaan Garis Panduan Lawatan Murid Sekolah pada tahun lepas bagi mengukuhkan pembelajaran di luar kelas, kata Menteri Pendidikan, Fadhlina Sidek.
Kebajikan pendidikan anak-anak dijaga sehingga tamat sekolah - KPM
Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia akan memastikan kebajikan pendidikan anak-anak 10 pegawai dan anggota Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia yang terkorban dalam nahas helikopter di Lumut, Perak, terus dijaga sehingga mereka tamat persekolahan.
Chegubard ditahan polis berkaitan hantaran mengenai kasino di Forest City
Chegubard ditahan di Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah (IPD) Dang Wangi di sini berkaitan hantaran mengenai pengoperasian kasino di Forest City pada Sabtu.
Zahid minta pihak dalam BN buka "buku baharu"
Ahmad Zahid menegaskan senario politik tanah air sudah berubah dan terdapat banyak video lama dari parti lawan yang meminta pengundi menyokong DAP.
Malaysia kongsi pengalaman dalam usaha berterusan mempertahan Palestin
Delegasi negara akan berkongsikan peranan Malaysia dalam usaha berterusan mempertahankan nasib Palestin dalam Persidangan Liga Parlimen Al-Quds kelima yang berlangsung di Istanbul, Turki pada Sabtu.
Universiti Malaya mohon maaf kepada seluruh rakyat Malaysia
Jabatan Pengajian Antarabangsa dan Strategik, Universiti Malaya memohon maaf kepada seluruh rakyat Malaysia berhubung kenytaaan tidak bertanggungjawab Profesor Dr Bruce Gilley pada 24 April lalu.
Genting Malaysia nafi terbabit perbincangan
Selepas Berjaya Corporation Bhd dan Kerajaan Negeri Johor, kini Genting Malaysia Bhd pula menafikan sebarang penglibatan dalam perbincangan mengenai pengoperasian kasino di Forest City, Johor.
Berita tempatan pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Berikut adalah berita yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang Sabtu, 27 April 2024.
Di sebalik kebimbangan koronavirus, Apple umum prestasi terbaik bagi suku terakhir 2019
Pertumbuhan kewangan ini didorong oleh prestasi kukuh dalam jualan iPhone walaupun syarikat itu beralih kepada perkhidmatan digital dan boleh-pakai.
iTunes sah terkubur, diganti tiga aplikasi
iTunes mula diperkenalkan oleh Apple lebih satu dekad lalu bagi membantu pengguna menikmati industri muzik yang kian berkembang.
WWDC gempar dunia teknologi pengguna Apple
Syarikat teknologi gergasi Apple telah memperkenalkan sistem operasi baharu bagi semua produk mereka.
Ipad Air 2 mula tarik perhatian dunia!
#iPadAir2 kali ini 18% lebih nipis berbanding iPad generasi yang sebelumnya.