Apple Offline Store: On Tuesday, Apple's CEO Tim Cook inaugurated the first-ever physical retail store of Apple in India, which was welcomed with excitement and cheers from thousands of Apple fans and tech enthusiasts outside.
The store, situated in the Jio World Drive mall at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai, will enable people to explore and buy Apple products starting from Tuesday afternoon.
With this move, Apple takes a major stride towards boosting its offline presence in India and competing with its closest rival Samsung.
Nearly 5000 tech enthusiasts attended the opening of the Apple BKC store, with some arriving at the venue as early as 8 am - almost three hours before the official opening of the doors.
Apple also organized a special preview of the store on Monday, where media professionals were given an exclusive tour.
The store provides a shopping experience unlike any other, characterized by a roomy layout, welcoming ambience, and generous natural lighting that filters through its glass walls.
It is adorned with lush plants, in keeping with the company's commitment to creating an environmentally-friendly atmosphere.
Apple proudly asserts that this store is among the most sustainable of its kind, operating on 100 per cent renewable energy and achieving carbon neutrality.
The store's emphasis on sustainability and eco-friendliness is evident in the green t-shirts worn by the sales team. The staff is highly versatile and well-informed, with the 100-member team at the BKC store collectively proficient in over 20 languages.
They possess comprehensive knowledge of all Apple products and are capable of expertly guiding visitors through the intricacies of desired technologies.
Although the store's fundamental design philosophy aligns with that of other Apple stores worldwide, the company has incorporated a distinctly Indian sensibility into its layout as well.
For instance, the store boasts a striking triangular ceiling made of handcrafted timber, which extends beyond the glass façade.
Over 4,50,000 timber elements were sourced from Delhi for this impressive feature. Upon entering the store, visitors are greeted by a 14-metre-long stainless steel staircase and two grey stone walls, both of which were sourced from Rajasthan.
The mosaic flooring, too, reflects the Indian touch that the store exudes.
