Apple rumored to be opening first Apple Store in India on August 15, 2022
Apple is said to be setting its sights on opening the first official Apple Store in India on August 15, 2022, to mark the country’s 76th Independence Day, according to a new report from The Economic Times that cites two people familiar with the development.
“On August 15, 2022, the day when India would be celebrating its 76th Independence Day, Apple will have its own milestone date in the country. The tech giant will open doors to its first India company-owned-and-operated store in Mumbai, according to two people familiar with the development,” the report reads.
Prior to the Coronavirus outbreak during the first half of last year, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that Apple was planning to open its doors to customers in India during 2021, with reports claiming the iPhone maker had secured a space in Mumbai’s Maker Maxity mall, located in the Bandra Kurla Complex.
However, due to the ongoing health crisis, Apple confirmed last month that it would be delaying the store’s opening until 2022, with no dates or further information shared.
According to today’s report, the Mumbai opening “will be immediately followed by an outlet in New Delhi next year,” said one of the persons quoted. “Apple plans to open three more outlets in the coming years — one in Bengaluru and plans to add one store each in Delhi and Mumbai.”
Apple stepped up its retail efforts in India last year, expanding the official online Apple Store to bring its full range of products and support directly to customers across the country for the first time, cutting the reliance on Apple’s network of third-party sellers to handle sales and support in the country.