Apple will begin writing the next chapter of its ambitious plans for India, with the opening of two more retail stores in early September. The tech giant’s upcoming official retail presence in Bengaluru and Pune, which open their doors on September 2 and September 4, respectively, will join Delhi’s Apple Saket and Mumbai’s Apple BKC stores. This underlines Apple’s sharpened focus on India, a point CEO Tim Cook has regularly emphasised.
The timing works out well for Apple, which is expected to unveil the next iPhone lineup, tentatively dubbed the iPhone 17 series, and is expected to go on sale next month. For Apple in India, official retail stores are the final piece of the jigsaw that relies heavily on a curated experience, alongside strong sales and local manufacturing, setting new milestones.
“Apple Retail is all about connecting customers with the best of Apple, from our amazing lineup of products and services, to our incredibly supportive teams,” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail and People, in a conversation with HT.
O’Brien has been at Apple for over three decades and assumed this role in 2019.
Apple Hebbal in Bengaluru and Apple Koregaon Park in Pune join an illustrious list of Apple Stores globally, including the Apple Park Visitor Center in Cupertino, Apple Champs-Élysées in Paris, Apple Dubai Mall, Apple Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, and now Apple Saket and Apple BKC, both opened in 2023.
Apple BKC in Mumbai aims to push the company’s non-negotiable energy efficiency targets like no other store globally, she said.
“We’re proud of the advancements we’ve been able to make within Apple Retail in India. For example, Apple BKC is designed to be one of the most energy-efficient Apple Store locations in the world, with a dedicated solar array and zero reliance on fossil fuels for store operations,” O’Brien said.
Earlier this year, the launch of the Apple Store app in India set the ball rolling for further retail impetus, that are bearing results now. The company’s strategy for India is cognisant of the need for balance between a strong online presence, as well as physical experiences, including partner ‘premium resellers’.
“Products like iPhone and Mac are meant to be experienced in person, and our team members often share stories of how our customers come to our stores to shop for our products and learn more about how they can do their best work. And as we open new stores, we expect the same connection and more only-at-Apple experiences that enrich our customers’ lives,” O’Brien noted.
“Since the first two Apple Stores opened in India in 2023, Apple Retail has constantly innovated to meet customers where they are, whether it is via launching the Apple Store app, or Shop with Specialist over Video. Our aim is to provide the best shopping experience both in stores and online, and deepen connections with local communities across India,” she adds, pointing to the fact that a customer’s journey may often begin online, and end up either with a purchase at an Apple Store or through Apple Pickup.
Apple Store’s presence in India retains parity with stores worldwide on something O’Brien called “magical, only-at-Apple experiences”, including Today at Apple sessions, engraving on select products such as AirPods and iPad, a Genius Bar for service, as well as in-store pickup for orders placed online. For Apple’s stores in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Pune, there is a special focus on payment and financing options.
HT asked O’Brien about the choice of Bengaluru and Pune for the new stores, and she alluded to the uniqueness of both cities. “Bengaluru is the technology capital of India, and we know how passionate our customers there are for innovation and all the incredible things they can do with technology. A major centre of culture and learning in India, Pune is home to customers like students and creatives who are embracing technology to learn more about their worlds or bring their best ideas to life,” she said.
It may prove to be a strategic geographic positioning beyond mere market size considerations. Apple Hebbal finds home in Bengaluru’s Phoenix Mall of Asia, frequented by young professionals and entrepreneurs who may represent Apple’s core demographic. Pune is Maharashtra’s second-largest city, and besides being a major automotive and IT hub, it also represents a significant potential purchasing power, as seen at Apple Koregaon Park.
India’s stability amidst geopolitical insecurity
Apple’s accelerated timeline for retail presence in the country is representative of a momentum the company wouldn’t want to miss out on. Earlier this month, during the quarterly earnings call, Tim Cook again noted the double-digit growth in India, while a study by professor Viswanath Pingali from the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad noted that the App Store ecosystem in India facilitated ₹44,447 crore ($5.31 billion) in developer billings and sales in 2024.
According to International Data Corporation’s (IDC) latest Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, Apple has a 7.5% market share in the country in 2Q25, an increase of 19.7% compared to the corresponding quarter a year ago.
Apple assembles the complete iPhone 16 line-up in India, and is expected to continue that trajectory with the iPhone 17 series as well. They have manufacturing partnerships with three vendors, Foxconn, Pegatron, and Tata Electronics.
Apple is navigating tariff complexity at home. There is currently a temporary tariff exemption on iPhones manufactured in India, despite US President Donald Trump’s broader escalation of tariffs on Indian imports. However, this protection is inherently unstable, regardless of the origin of iPhones being shipped into the US. Apple has not commented on the evolving tariff landscape.
Apple’s India operations serve a dual purpose — manufacturing iPhones for local consumption and exports to other countries, and a retail expansion that positions Apple to maximise revenue from its India-manufactured devices locally.
India’s manufacturing share, depending on estimates, ranged between 10% to 20% at the end of 2024. Apple’s global iPhone shipments for the year were 232.1 million.
“We love our customers in India. There’s nothing quite like opening a new store, because it gives us an opportunity to connect with a whole new community,” said O’Brien, encapsulating Apple’s retail footprint pursuit. They are, after all, seen as foundational investments to a long-term strategy.
