Apple Bringing Online Store to India on September 23

Apple today announced that it plans to open its online store in India on Wednesday, September 23, providing customers located in India with a way to purchase iPhones, Macs, iPads, and more directly from Apple.

applestoreindia

"We're proud to be expanding in India and want to do all we can to support our customers and their communities," said Deirdre O'Brien, Apple's senior vice president of Retail + People. "We know our users are relying on technology to stay connected, engage in learning, and tap into their creativity, and by bringing the Apple Store online to India, we are offering our customers the very best ofApple at this important time."

Apple's online store will also feature Apple Specialists able to help with ordering products and setting up new devices, with customers able to get help in English and Hindi.

With the store, Apple will introduce financing options and a trade-in program, along with EDU pricing for students. Starting in October, Apple will also host free online Today at Apple sessions led by local Creative Pros with a focus on photography and music.

Apple has long had a presence in India, which is an important market for the Cupertino company, but device sales have been done through third-party resellers because of restrictions imposed on foreign companies that require 30 percent of production to be done locally.

India in August 2019 relaxed the rules, providing a way for Apple to operate an online store in the country. Apple also intends to open up retail stores in the future, and there are already retail locations in the works.

Popular Stories

Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Wednesday November 19, 2025 4:00 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
hikawa phone grip stand apple%402x

Apple Launches Second Limited-Edition iPhone Accessory in a Month

Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind. Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
ipad mini 7 feature red and blue

iPad Mini 8: Four Major New Features to Expect

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:50 am PST by
Apple's eighth-generation iPad mini is highly likely to arrive next year, offering a significant refresh of the device with at least four major new features. OLED Display The next-generation version of the iPad mini could feature an OLED display, as part of Apple's plan to expand the display technology across many more of its devices. Apple's first OLED device was the Apple Watch in 2015, ...
watchos 26 workout app

Apple Watch Users Claim Workout App Is Now Worse in Every Way

Thursday November 20, 2025 7:01 am PST by
Apple Watch owners have been voicing their frustration online over changes to the Workout app that Apple introduced in watchOS 26, with many finding the redesigned interface makes starting exercises difficult and exasperating. When Apple launched watchOS 26 in September, the Workout app went from large, easily tapped workout tiles to a scrolling, corner-button interface. Instead of tapping a ...
applecare apple care banner

Apple Brings New AppleCare+ Options to India

Tuesday November 18, 2025 8:42 am PST by
Apple today announced an expansion of AppleCare+ coverage in India, with new options for monthly and annual plans, and the addition of Theft and Loss for iPhone for the first time. Options for monthly and annual AppleCare+ plans in India provide more choice and flexibility, allowing users to keep coverage for as long as they require. Apple's vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product...
ipad black friday 2025

The Best Early Black Friday iPad Deals

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:20 am PST by
Black Friday is just over a week away, and iPad deals have finally started to flood in at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. Below we're tracking discounts on every current generation iPad, including lowest-ever prices on M3 iPad Air and M5 iPad Pro, plus steep markdowns on iPad and iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Two More U.S. States Commit to Offering iPhone Driver's Licenses in Apple Wallet App

Thursday November 20, 2025 8:21 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Earlier this week, Illinois became the 13th state in the U.S. to offer the feature. Subsequently, we shared a list of additional states that are committed...

Top Rated Comments

btrach144 Avatar
68 months ago
It blows my mind that Apple hasn’t had an online store in the second most populous country in the world.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ajgash Avatar
68 months ago
I love the intentional design choices Apple makes. They could have just said, "Apple Store coming to India." Instead, we have a really cool illustration that's full of "hidden" apple products and icons. Really neat!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ian87w Avatar
68 months ago

It blows my mind that Apple hasn’t had an online store in the second most populous country in the world.

Apple has long had a presence in India, which is an important market for the Cupertino company, but device sales have been done through third-party resellers because of restrictions imposed on foreign companies that require 30 percent of production to be done locally.
Good job Apple.
Next stop, the fourth most populous country in the world, Indonesia.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
0924487 Avatar
68 months ago

Its crazy that it hasnt, also India its about to become the most populous within the next decade... 2.5x China’s birth rate
That shows how underdeveloped India is.

For Apple's online store to work, you need good infrastructures across the entire country, such as broadband internet, fast, reliable and cost-effective domestic shipping that covers the entire country. You will also need good channels for online fraud prevention, which is a big problem in India not just domestically. Scammers from India are literally scamming the world.

For the online store to be successful, you need a ready market. The mass population should be at least pretty much all literate, and digitally literate, which India doesn't have. There should be a significant middle and upper class measured in the American purchasing power standard, not PPP because Apple products have globally standard pricing, at least before tax. Apple products will not be cheaper in India than in the US in FX dollars, so the nominal dollar, in this case, equals PPP-adjusted dollar.

Most of the people that meet the above criteria are located in the rich part of India, aka., the affluent half of the big cities, which already have physical retail channels.

For physical Apple Stores to work in India, currently India has none, there must be urban clusters in India that will buy the upper-end of the premium device lineups, such as Mac Pro, iPad Pro, Thunderbolt display (with the stand), AirPods Pro, etc. Products like the entry-level basic iPad, iPhone SE, MacBook Air without retina display, etc. will not generate enough profit for Apple to operate physical Apple Stores, which are expensive to keep.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
0924487 Avatar
68 months ago

is there any way to determine which countries have an online store and which do not?
Checking the official Apple website one by one in each locale of interest, or look here for a map of it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Store

Basically, most small third world countries don't have it. Russa doesn't have it. India doesn't have it. China has hundreds of them.



[TABLE]
[TR]
[TH]Country / Region[/TH]
[TH]Number of stores[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]United States[/TD]
[TD]271[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]China[/TD]
[TD]42[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]United Kingdom[/TD]
[TD]38[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Canada[/TD]
[TD]29[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Australia[/TD]
[TD]22[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]France[/TD]
[TD]20[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Italy[/TD]
[TD]17[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Germany[/TD]
[TD]15[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Spain[/TD]
[TD]11[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Japan[/TD]
[TD]10[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Hong Kong[/TD]
[TD]6[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Switzerland[/TD]
[TD]4[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Netherlands[/TD]
[TD]3[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Sweden[/TD]
[TD]3[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]United Arab Emirates[/TD]
[TD]3[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Singapore[/TD]
[TD]3[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Brazil[/TD]
[TD]2[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Turkey[/TD]
[TD]2[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Macau[/TD]
[TD]2[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Mexico[/TD]
[TD]2[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Taiwan[/TD]
[TD]2[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Thailand[/TD]
[TD]2[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Belgium[/TD]
[TD]1[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]South Korea[/TD]
[TD]1[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Austria[/TD]
[TD]1[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iMi Avatar
68 months ago
This is a big deal. India is fast developing but honestly it has a long way to go. In the vast rural area of India only about 60% have electricity. They would have been much further ahead, but they made the admirable, and in my opinion, inspiring decision to forgo the usual route of industrial revolution based on carbon fuels and instead invest heavily in renewables. Industrial growth is off the charts, consumer spending is rising at record pace. All good signs.

India is where we're looking to invest as well. I agree that this is big news.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)