Apple To Launch Its Third India Store Next Month: Report

iPhone maker Apple is set to expand its retail footprint in India with the launch of its third official store, Apple Hebbal, in Bengaluru on September 2.

Apple Hebbal will open at Phoenix Mall of Asia, Bellary Road, Byatarayanapura, Bengaluru.

An ET report said that the outlet will offer the complete lineup of Apple products and services, as well as free ‘Today at Apple’ sessions to help customers learn new skills on their devices.

The new outlet will join the company’s flagship stores — Apple BKC in Mumbai and Apple Saket in New Delhi.

The move comes as Apple intensifies its efforts to deepen its footprint in India by launching retail outlets, leasing spaces for corporate offices and boosting local manufacturing.

ET had also reported that the company last month leased 268,737 sq ft at Embassy Zenith on Sankey Road in Bengaluru for office use under a ten-year lock-in period, besides taking up 11,000 sq ft for its retail store at Phoenix Mall of Asia. In 2024, the iPhone maker also signed a major lease for over 410,000 sq ft at Prestige Mink Square, making it among the largest new corporate locations in Bengaluru’s central business district.

With this, Bengaluru has now become Apple’s biggest operational base outside Cupertino in the US. 

Inside Apple’s Growing Bet On India

Apple is weighing India over China for its manufacturing efforts. Earlier this year, the company started to take out most of its manufacturing operations in China, shifting them to India. Moreover, it plans to shift the entire assembly of iPhones sold in the US to India by 2026. 

This happened on the back of Apple’s efforts to diversify its manufacturing supply chain and also safeguard itself from geopolitical tensions. 

The company started to shift its manufacturing from China after the tit-for-tat tariff war between the US and China. 

It is also planning to ramp up the manufacturing of its iPhone 17 in India. 

Apple started manufacturing iPhone 15 in India last year, clocking 30 Mn to 40 Mn units annually. Till last year, 25% of Apple manufacturing was happening in India via its contract manufacturers, Tata Electronics, Foxconn and Pegatron. 

In the April-June quarter, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the company has seen a double digit growth in revenues across iPhones, Macs and services. Further, he also said that the company is also planning to double down on its efforts to grow their presence on the retail front. 

Apple saw a 13.4% revenue jump from iPhone sales globally to $44.6 Bn in the June quarter, largely driven by the iPhone 16 family. Besides, the company’s overall revenue for the quarter went up by 10% to $94 Bn.