Apple to open first India flagship store in 2021, says CEO Tim Cook

San Francisco: Bullish on its growth in India, Apple is set to open its first branded retail store in the country in 2021, company CEO Tim Cook has told shareholders.

Speaking to investors at the annual shareholder meeting at Apple Park in Cupertino, California on Wednesday, Cook confirmed the company will open its first offline retail outlet in the world’s second-biggest smartphone market next year, reports Apple Insider. “I don’t want somebody else to run the brand for us,” he was quoted as saying.

“We wouldn’t be a very good partner in retail. We like to do things our way,” the Apple CEO mentioned.

Apple currently has third-party reseller outlets to sell its devices in the country. There are reports that Apple has leased a location in Mumbai for its upcoming branded retail store but the company is yet to reveal the location.

Apple’s exclusive online store is expected to start functioning in the third quarter this year. The Cupertino-based tech giant is currently selling its devices in India via third-party offline retailers and e-commerce platforms like Flipkart and Amazon.in.

Welcoming the government’s decision to ease the 30 percent local sourcing norm in single-brand retail (SBRT), Apple said last year: “We appreciate the support and hard work by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his team to make this possible.” (IANS)

Also Read: ‘India Manufacturing, Retail Top Priority’, Says Tim Cook

Also Watch: IPL 2020: Rajasthan Royals to conduct camp in Guwahati from today, click here to see the video