Tim Cook Attends Opening of Apple BKC Store in Mumbai, India

Apple CEO Tim Cook today officially inaugurated the company's first retail store in India, opening its doors, welcoming the first customers, and posing for selfies outside Apple BKC.

Apple BKC Mumbai India media preview hero
The new flagship store is situated in the country's financial capital of Mumbai, located in a high-end shopping mall at Bandra-Kurla Complex – hence 'BKC' in the title – in the city's main business district. Apple says it is one of the most energy-efficient Apple Store locations in the world, with a dedicated solar array and zero reliance on fossil fuels for store operations. The store is operationally carbon neutral, running on 100% renewable energy.

The store opening is the culmination of sustained efforts by Apple to meet regulators' demands, which included making some of its products locally. Apple is set to open another store in the capital New Delhi on Thursday, and Cook is scheduled to attend. Cook is also expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit. It is the Apple CEO's first trip to India in seven years.

Until now, Apple products have been sold in India either online or through Apple's regional website or through a network of resellers. Beyond bringing Apple branding cachet, the physical stores will offer a premium buying experience in a country where the premium smartphone market is relatively untapped. Only about 4% of India's nearly 700 million smartphone users have iPhones, with the majority owning low-cost Android phones.


Apple's sales in India hit a new high of almost $6 billion in the year through March. Revenue in India grew by nearly 50%, from $4.1 billion a year earlier, according to a source with knowledge of the matter cited by Bloomberg.

Apple has been working to build out a manufacturing supply chain in India, which is home to the world's second biggest smartphone market. In an indication of the country's perceived importance as a production hub, Apple shifted iPhone 14 assembly from China to India in the weeks following its release.

Popular Stories

apple store down feature

Here's Why the Apple Store is Going Down

Thursday November 27, 2025 1:01 pm PST by
Apple's online store is going down for a few hours on a rolling country-by-country basis right now, but do not get your hopes up for new products. Apple takes its online store down for a few hours ahead of Black Friday every year to tease/prepare for its annual gift card offer with the purchase of select products. The store already went down and came back online in Australia and New Zealand, ...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket is Now Completely Sold Out Worldwide

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:16 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. However, it is now completely sold out in all countries where it was released. iPhone Pocket became available to order on Apple's online store starting Friday, November 14, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, ...
streaming black friday 2025

Best Black Friday Streaming Deals - Save Big on Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, and More

Thursday November 27, 2025 1:14 pm PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
New Intel Logo

Apple and Intel Rumored to Partner on Mac Chips Again in a New Way

Friday November 28, 2025 7:33 am PST by
While all Macs are now powered by Apple's custom-designed chips, a new rumor claims that Apple may rekindle its partnership with Intel, albeit in a new and limited way. Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said Intel is expected to begin shipping Apple's lowest-end M-series chip as early as mid-2027. Kuo said Apple plans to utilize Intel's 18A process, which is the "earliest...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Three Breakthrough Features

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include three standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air Flop Sparks Industry Retreat From Ultra-Thin Phones

Thursday November 27, 2025 3:14 am PST by
Apple's disappointing iPhone Air sales are causing major Chinese mobile vendors to scrap or freeze their own ultra-thin phone projects, according to reports coming out of Asia. Since the ‌iPhone Air‌ launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales and manufacturing cuts, while Apple's supply chain has scaled back shipments and production. Apple supplier Foxconn has...
iphone black friday gold

The Best Black Friday iPhone Deals Still Available

Friday November 28, 2025 6:24 am PST by
Cellular carriers have always offered big savings on the newest iPhone models during the holidays, and Black Friday 2025 sales have kicked off at AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and more. Right now we're tracking notable offers on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. For even more savings, keep an eye on older models during the holiday shopping season. Note: MacRumors is...

Top Rated Comments

mystery hill Avatar
34 months ago

The problem Apple has in countries such as China & India, is that most people are just as happy with a knock off as the real thing, however, I suspect this will significantly increase the sales in India
China and India have a population of 1.4 billion each.

Even with a 2% market share, that would be 28 million iPhone users in India.

For comparison, with a 100% iPhone market share, Australia would have 26 million iPhone users.

This is simplified obviously, and assumes even newborn babies have phones.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
japanime Avatar
34 months ago
That architecture is gorgeous. Well done, Apple!
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
34 months ago

Let's hope he's more enthusiastic than when he waved the checkered flag at the F1 last year.
It seems like he is.



Full video below. It seems like the customer was getting ready to give him a kiss on his cheek ?

[MEDIA=twitter]1648236613754060800[/MEDIA]

Attachment Image
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dexterouz Avatar
34 months ago

That architecture is gorgeous. Well done, Apple!
I don't know if anyone has mentioned it.

The Apple BKC store used:
• 1000 Handcrafted Timber tiles for the Ceiling.
• Stone walls from Rajasthan state. The stone has heat-retaining capacity. They retain heat during the day, keeping indoors cool, thus regulating the temperature.
• Stainless Steel Staircase.
• 100 team members who collectively speak 20+ Indian languages, including English.
• It runs on 100% Renewable Energy. Carbon neutral and fossil fuel free.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jay Tee Avatar
34 months ago
In spite of high import duties, everyone I know in India has an iPhone Pro/ProMax: if more components are manufactured there, Apple's stock will go vertical.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tomtad Avatar
34 months ago
I wish Apple put as much effort into macOS as they do into their stores
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)