'Hello Mumbai': Apple comes calling to Mumbai; all set for grand opening
PTC Web Desk: Spread over a 20,000 square feet area in Mumbai, Tim Cook, chief executive of Apple, is all set to welcome customers to the iPhone maker's first store in India. It will be opened at BKC business district in Mumbai on Tuesday, company executives said on Monday. The store marks the company's 25 years in the country.
The second store will be opened in New Delhi's Saket on April 20. It is learnt that Apple's chief executive Tim Cook will also be meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In a statement, Tim Cook said, "India has a beautiful culture and an incredible energy, and we're excited to build on our long-standing history -- supporting our customers, investing in local communities, and working together to build a better future with innovations that serve humanity."
The specifications of Apple's first store in India
A 100-strong team will be on the floor, which can speak 18 Indian languages. The two-storey store occupies prime real estate at the corner of a sprawling mall which also houses brands like Diesel, Michael Kors, Kate Spade and Swarovski.
The theme of the store seems to have been borrowed from much talked about 'kaali-peeli' taxis in Mumbai that dominate city roads.
It is learnt that the first Apple store in Mumbai has an 8-metre tall ceiling if one were to include the upper floor, and has a specially made staircase leading to the upper floor that has 14-metre long, single-piece glass walls on either side.
For the walls, Apple has procured stone from Rajasthan. As many as 4.5 lakh pieces of timber adorn the ceiling walls.
At present, Apple has a 3 per cent share in the highly competitive Indian smartphone market.
- With inputs from agencies
