Apple’s first India store goes live; CEO Tim Cook opens doors to welcome customers
Mumbai: Twenty-five years after entering India by selling products and services through partners, iconic consumer technology brand Apple on Tuesday launched the country’s first retail store in Mumbai. Apple CEO Tim Cook and Deirdre OBrien, Apples senior vice president of Retail and People greet people at the inauguration of India’s first Apple retail store in Mumbai on Tuesday. Reuters Chief executive Tim Cook opened the doors of the store located in a mall in the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) business district exactly at 11 am to welcome the first set of customers. Dressed in a black t-shirt and grey pants and accompanied by the company’s senior vice president for retail Deirdre O’Brien, Cook opened the doors of the store to walk into a crowded foyer to pose for the media, and then started welcoming customers into the store.
As the store’s 100-odd employees along with company executives from other parts of the world cheered, Cook welcomed about a dozen-odd customers for seven minutes before going back into the store.
Excitement levels were already very high over the last fortnight since the company announced the opening of the store, and many fans had been queuing up at the mall since morning to be among the first ones to shop at the store.
Cook posed for selfies with the customers and exchanged quick pleasantries before welcoming them into the store located inside the Jio World Drive mall.
The launch of the Mumbai store will be followed by opening of another retail outlet in New Delhi’s Saket on Thursday.
Tim Cook relishes vada pav with Madhuri Dixit
Mumbai: Apple CEO Tim Cook on Monday relished his first ‘vada pav’ here, with none other than Bollywood superstar Madhuri Dixit Nene.
Sharing a picture of him enjoying the local delicacy at a city restaurant, Cook thanked Madhuri for introducing him to Vada Pav.
Dixit had earlier shared a picture with Cook with the caption: “Can’t think of a better welcome to Mumbai than Vada Pav!” Cook is in India to launch the company’s first retail stores in Mumbai and Delhi, as Apple doubles down on its India plans.