On Wednesday, Apple Inc. showcased its first-ever retail store in India, with the exterior design paying homage to Mumbai's legendary yellow and black taxis. Numerous onlookers gathered outside the store, attempting to catch a peek at the vibrant black and yellow artwork.
Although the store is currently under construction and surrounded by barricades, it is expected to open later this month, according to an individual with knowledge of the matter.
India has emerged as a significant market for the Cupertino, California-based tech giant, which debuted its online retail store in the world's second-largest smartphone market in 2020. However, Apple's high prices have limited its share of India's smartphone market to just 3%.
In the past, Apple has encountered challenges in establishing physical retail stores in India, with its 2021 launch plans delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, Apple products have been available in India for years through e-commerce platforms such as Amazon.com Inc. and Walmart Inc.'s Flipkart, as well as via resellers.
India is also progressively becoming a manufacturing hub for Apple products. Taiwanese contract electronics manufacturers Foxconn and Wistron Corp assemble some iPhones in the country, and Apple plans to expand production to iPads and AirPods as well.
Apple's inaugural retail store is situated in the upscale Reliance Jio World Drive mall, which houses a variety of luxury clothing and jewelry brands, including Michael Kors, Kate Spade, and Swarovski.
In a statement, Apple said the store's vivid design was "inspired by the iconic Kaali Peeli taxi art unique to Mumbai," referring to the city's distinctive yellow and black taxis that have been in operation for decades.
On Wednesday evening, people gathered outside the store to take selfies and record videos with their smartphones. The Apple logo was adorned in an array of colors, and a variation of the classic Apple greeting displayed "Hello Mumbai."
