Tim Cook inaugurates Apple Store in Delhi

New Delhi — A day after inaugurating the first Apple Store in Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla complex to compete with Samsung for the growing luxury smartphone market in Asia’s second-largest economy, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook inaugurated another store here at Select Citywalk Mall in Saket on Thursday.

What an incredible reception, Delhi, thank you! We’re delighted to welcome our customers to our newest store—Apple Saket! pic.twitter.com/5Jmi79ixzl

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) April 20, 2023

Apple Store Saket

“The store has more than 70 highly skilled retail team members who come from a combined 18 states in India and collectively speak more than 15 languages. They’re excited to help customers in Delhi discover and shop for the latest Apple products, including the new iPhone 14 in yellow, with its powerful camera features and groundbreaking safety capabilities,” read a press release from the company.

At the Apple Store, customers can also schedule an appointment at the Genius Bar to receive technical and hardware assistance from an Expert. From setting up a device to recovering an Apple ID, selecting an AppleCare plan, or modifying subscriptions, Genius Bar appointments provide comprehensive support.

Apart from that the store will serve as a vibrant hub for inspiration and education, featuring a range of free, daily in-store sessions through Today at Apple. These sessions, led by Apple Creatives who are skilled artists and creators themselves, will cover a variety of topics ranging from basic how-to lessons to the use of professional-grade programs.

Significance of Tim Cook’s Visit

Cook’s visit to India is significant as Apple is ramping up its manufacturing efforts in India at a time when the country is positioning itself to capture a larger share of western technology production from China.

He met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Wednesday, reportedly they discussed strategies to enhance local manufacturing and increase the export of iPhones.

“…We share your vision of the positive impact technology can make on India’s future — from education and developers to manufacturing and the environment, we’re committed to growing and investing across the country,” Tim Cook tweeted after the meeting.

Thank you Prime Minister @narendramodi for the warm welcome. We share your vision of the positive impact technology can make on India’s future — from education and developers to manufacturing and the environment, we’re committed to growing and investing across the country. pic.twitter.com/xRSjc7u5Ip

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) April 19, 2023

Apple Market in India

According to a Financial Times report, the iPhone maker has a relatively insignificant market share in the world’s third-largest smartphone market, as its sales accounted for less than 5% of the total handsets sold in the previous year.

However, Apple has made significant progress in the premium phone market, giving a tough competition to Samsung. In fact, Apple’s share in the premium phone segment has grown considerably and it accounted for 18% of the market value last year, making it the second-largest player after Samsung who held a 22% market share, the report said citing Counterpoint Research data.