Apple is working to open four new retail locations in India by the end of 2025. The iPhone maker’s four new store will join two existing stores in the country, located in Delhi and Mumbai.
Apple has plans for new retail locations in Bengaluru and Pune. The company also has plans for a second store each in Delhi and Mumbai. The Cupertino company’s Indian corporate headquarters is in Bengaluru.
Both of Apple’s current retail locations opened in 2023. Both locations had delayed openings, due to the COVID pandemic. The two stores annually account for 20% of Apple’s income in India.
“Our stores are incredible places to experience the magic of Apple, and it’s been wonderful to deepen our connection with our customers in India,” said Apple Retail Senior Vice-President Dierdre O’Brien. “We can’t wait for them to have even more opportunities to discover and shop for our amazing products and services, and connect with our extraordinary, knowledgeable team members.”
The new Apple retail stores in India will sell iPhones that are made in the country. Tata Electronics production facilities assemble iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models, while a Pegatron factory produce the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. Apple first began assembling the Phone in India back in 2017, and production capacity in the country has steadily risen since then. India currently produces seven percent of all iPhone sold worldwide.
iPhone Smugglers
Delhi airport officials seized a total of 38 iPhone 16 Pro Max units in two separate incidents on the same day.
The first incident involved a group of four passengers on a flight that originated in Dubai attempted to smuggle 12 iPhone 16 Pro Max handsets into India. The “crew” attempted to hide the iPhones by wrapping them in tissue paper.
A second incident later that same day, saw a lone smuggler arriving on a flight from Hong Kong was caught with 26 iPhone 16 Pro Max models in her vanity bag.
The Indian government was at risk of losing out on collecting approximately $14,000 (the Indian government places a large import tariff on certain electronic devices, including iPhones). The government charges the high tariffs to encourage companies to manufacture the products they sell to locals inside of India.
The cost difference between iPhones in other countries and the retail price in India can amount to more than $500 more than the US price, with a base iPhone 16 Pro Max selling for $1,199 in the US, while in India the base price translates to $1,724, or 144,900 rupee.)
