Launch of India’s first Apple store delayed due to COVID-19

• Apple had planned to launch its first retail store in India this year.
• The first Apple retail store is planned to open in Mumbai.
• There’s no word yet on when the Apple store will debut.

Apple’s first brick and mortar store in India has been delayed due to the pandemic. The iPhone maker was scheduled to open its first retail store in India this year in Mumbai. Apple hasn’t specified when we can expect the debut of its first India store but it did confirm that it will be delayed, The Indian Express reported.

An official Apple retail store was much awaited in India, a market that’s becoming one of the key focus countries for the iPhone market. CEO Tim Cook has time and again expressed interest in setting up base here. Apple has also ramped up manufacturing in the country with the most recent iPhone 12 also now being assembled here. It currently manufactures the iPhone 11, iPhone SE 2020, iPhone XR, iPhone 7 and iPhone 6s.

The company also launched its exclusive online store in India last year in September. The online store became the closest way of purchasing an Apple product which was previously only through authorised Apple resellers. The online store also paved the way for Apple to launch its upgrade programmes, offer support, and exclusive offers and deals.

India is still a growing market for Apple but the company has been seeing an upward trajectory in terms of sales. Apple reported double-digit growth in markets including India in Q2 this year. Cook had also said earlier this year that Apple doubled its business here in India earlier this year. Cook cited the online store as one of the major contributors along with the popularity of the iPhone 11 and iPhone XR models.

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