Apple today opened the doors of its first official retail store in India. The Cupertino firm has been serving its customers in India till now through authorized Apple Stores, but the Apple Store experience is said to be quite a different experience. Referred to as Apple BKC, Apple’s first official retail store, located at Jio World Drive Mall in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), opened at 11:00 pm IST on Tuesday. Apart from stocking every single product and accessory sold by Apple in India, the store will also host free ‘Today at Apple’ sessions that will help customers learn more about their devices.
On Tuesday, the inauguration of the Apple Store was crowded with fans and curious customers waiting to get the first glimpse of the first Apple-run outlet. Apple CEO Tim Cook was also present at the inauguration of the store and according to earlier reports, he is also going to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week.
The Apple Store concept is definitely a first for India. And it looks like the iPhone maker has done a lot to make it look and feel special. The tech giant claims that Apple BKC has been designed to be one of the most energy efficient Apple Store locations in the world. The store has its own solar array and according to Apple has zero dependence on fossil fuels. Apple says its store is operationally carbon neutral because it runs on 100 percent renewable energy.
According to the company, the unique triangular roof is made from 408 pieces of wood, with 31 modules per tile, with a total of 1,000 tiles making up the roof, all of which were assembled in Delhi. There are stone walls that were brought from Rajasthan and a unique 14 meter long stainless steel staircase.
Apple BKC Store at Jio World Drive Mall in Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai
In the store, Apple has showcased all its products including the latest iPhone, Mac, iPad, AirPods, Apple Watch and Apple TV lineup. There are many accessories along with them. The Apple Pickup feature is also available at Apple Stores, which allows customers to pick up products purchased online from the store. It also has free ‘Today at Apple’ sessions available at its stores to help customers better understand its products. At today’s launch, Apple will host a special session as a part of its “Mumbai Rising” series. These include a music lab, photo lab, design lab and an art lab.
The launch of the Apple Store coincides with the brand celebrating 25 years of its existence in India. Apple BKC is one of two official retail stores. Apple started manufacturing iPhones in India from 2017 through contract manufacturers and estimates that its exports from India will cross $5 billion (about Rs 400 crore) in the financial year 2022-23. According to the company, the second store will open on April 20 at 10:00 am IST at Select City Walk Mall in Saket, New Delhi.
