Apple, one of the largest smartphone companies in the world, opened its first official offline store in India. The development highlights the important role of the Indian market for the Cupertino-based tech giant.

The first Apple store in India, called Apple BKC, is located in Mumbai, and the company is all set to open a second store in the country’s capital, Delhi, in a couple of days.

Apple BKC, India

Apple says that the newly opened store, Apple BKC, runs on 100% renewable energy. It has a dedicated solar energy system and has zero reliance on fossil fuels for the store’s operations.

While Apple has just now launched its first store in India, the company has been present in the market for over 25 years but relied on third-party sellers for its products in the country. The company aims to boost its sales in the Indian market and has already paved ways to increase the production of iPhones in India.

The Indian smartphone market has been dominated by Android, and companies like Samsung and Xiaomi remain the top brands. Apple’s devices fall under the premium segment, defined as phones priced above ₹30,000 (approx. $365), which accounts for about 10 percent of the total phones sold in the country.

Last year, Apple shipped around 6.5 million iPhones, compared to about 50 million units each in the United States and China. It has less than 5% of the smartphone market share in India, but the company sees potential for growth in demand for Apple iPhones in the market.

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