Apple brings Store app to Indian market

Apple launched its dedicated Apple Store app in India on Friday, deepening its retail presence in the world’s most populous country as the iPhone-maker seeks to capitalize on growing consumer demand.

The app, available for download on India’s App Store, lets customers purchase Apple products directly while receiving personalized shopping recommendations, the company said in a statement.

Through the app, users can also customize their Mac with more powerful chips, extra memory or additional storage — features long sought by Indian customers — and arrange for delivery or pickup of their purchases.

The move comes as Apple works to strengthen its foothold in India, where it opened its first physical stores in Mumbai and Delhi in 2023. The company plans additional four stores in tech hub Bengaluru, Pune and other parts of Delhi and Mumbai. (Apple launched its online store in India in 2020.)

“At Apple, our customer is at the centre of everything we do, and we are thrilled to introduce the Apple Store app to reach even more users in India, further deepening our connections,” said Karen Rasmussen, Apple’s head of retail online, in a statement.

The app features separate tabs for products, personalized recommendations and post-purchase support including online setup sessions with Apple specialists. Customers can also sign up for free training sessions at physical Apple stores and learn about Apple trade-in and financing options as well as add free engravings to devices such as AirPods and iPads in eight languages.

India, the world’s second largest smartphone market, is slowly becoming a significant geography for Apple as it looks to expand its manufacturing bases outside of China. The company began assembling iPhones in India in 2017 and has since expanded production through partners including Foxconn and Indian conglomerate Tata.