Apple opens first India flagship store

Apple has been in India for more than 25 years

Apple Inc. opened its first flagship store in India on Tuesday. 

CEO Tim Cook was shown posing for photos with fans who lined up outside the 20,000-square-foot facility in Mumbai. 

Apple said its hub was designed to be one of the most energy-efficient locations in the world, including a dedicated solar array and zero reliance on fossil fuels for its operations. 

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iPhones at Apple's first India flagship

iPhones are on display during a press preview of India's first Apple Store in Mumbai, India, Monday, April 17, 2023.  ((AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) / AP Newsroom)

A second store is slated to open on Thursday in New Delhi. 

"India has such a beautiful culture and an incredible energy, and we’re excited to build on our long-standing history," Cook said in a statement.

Apple CEO Tim Cook waves to India shoppers

Apple CEO Tim Cook, center, with Senior Vice President of Retail Deirdre O'Brien wave to the dozens of people waiting outside during the grand opening Apple Inc. first flagship store in Mumbai, India, on April 18, 2023.  ((AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) / AP Newsroom)

The California-based tech giant has been operating in India for more than 25 years, selling its products through authorized retailers and the website it launched a few years ago. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and regulatory hurdles have delayed plans to open the flagship, located in the city's Bandra Kurla Complex financial, arts and entertainment district.

In September, the company announced that it would start making its iPhone 14 in the country. 

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Dozens of people lined up outside the Mumbai Apple store

Dozens of people lined up outside for the grand opening Apple Inc. first flagship store in Mumbai, India, on April 18, 2023.  ((AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) / AP Newsroom)

Apple first started manufacturing from India in 2017 with the iPhone SE.

The majority of Apple's smartphones and other products are made in China, but the company began to look at shifting production to Southeast Asia and elsewhere after repeated shutdowns to fight against COVID-19 disrupted its global flow of products.

Apple CEO Tim Cook and visitors outside the new flagship in Mumbai

Apple CEO Tim Cook center, welcomes a visitor during the opening of the first Apple Inc. flagship store in Mumbai, India, on April 18, 2023.  ((AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) / AP Newsroom)

Now, India makes nearly 13 million iPhones annually. That number is up from less than 5 million just three years ago, according to Counterpoint Research, and is bout 6% of iPhones made worldwide. China still makes about 90% of them.

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Earlier this month, India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said the government was in regular touch with Apple to support its business in India, and that the company had plans to have 25% of its global production come out of India during the course of the next five years.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.