Apple introduced its dedicated Apple Store app in India on Friday, strengthening its retail presence in the country with the largest population as it aims to take advantage of increasing consumer demand.
The app, which can be downloaded from India’s App Store, enables customers to buy Apple products directly and receive personalized shopping suggestions, according to a company announcement.
Using the app, users can also personalize their Mac with more powerful processors, additional memory, or more storage – features that Indian customers have been longing for – and schedule delivery or pickup of their purchases.
This development comes as Apple works on solidifying its presence in India, where it inaugurated its inaugural physical stores in Mumbai and Delhi in 2023. The company has plans to open four more stores in the tech city of Bengaluru, Pune, and other areas in Delhi and Mumbai. (Apple launched its online store in India in 2020.)
“At Apple, our customers are at the forefront of everything we do, and we are excited to introduce the Apple Store app to reach even more users in India, strengthening our connections further,” said Karen Rasmussen, Apple’s head of online retail, in a statement.
The app includes separate tabs for products, personalized suggestions, and post-purchase assistance, including online setup sessions with Apple experts. Customers can also register for complimentary training sessions at physical Apple stores, discover Apple trade-in and financing options, and even include free engravings on devices like AirPods and iPads in eight languages.
India, the world’s second-largest smartphone market, is progressively becoming a crucial region for Apple as it aims to diversify its manufacturing facilities outside China. The company commenced iPhone assembly in India in 2017 and has expanded production through partnerships with Foxconn and Indian conglomerate Tata.
