Apple begins hiring for its first branded stores in India

Formally, the organization of iPhone production in India a few years ago was aimed precisely at increasing the share of Apple products in the local market, but since then the company’s contractors have been focusing on expanding their presence in this country in order to eliminate dependence to reduce China. Now it became known that Apple itself is ready to believe in the potential of the Indian market and therefore will open its brand stores in this country.

Image source: Apple

After financial times, on the Apple website in the vacancies section there are at least 12 vacancies in India related to retail sales of products of this brand. The company is looking for consultants, sales managers and account managers. According to the source, a typical Apple Store employs at least a hundred people, and large ones can have as many as 1,000 employees.

A large Apple Store is expected to open in Mumbai by March this year, and another in the metropolis of New Delhi. Some of Apple’s existing employees in India have confirmed that they will work in future stores in those cities. Apple CEO Tim Cook made it clear at the 2020 shareholder meeting that the company will not be content with selling its products in India only through partner stores. It was then planned that Apple branded stores would appear in the country as early as 2022. Last year, the company launched its online store in India, but offline outlets never surfaced.

Tim Cook was negotiating with Indian authorities to open a store back in 2015, but then the officials’ position was strengthened by the requirement to localize the production of at least 30% of the components of devices sold in such stores. Legislation has since been relaxed, and iPhone production has been established in India since 2017. According to last year’s results, around 200 million smartphones of various brands have already been produced in India. In total, Apple products occupy only 5% in the Indian market, but in the premium segment it already occupies all 40% of the local market. iPhone sales in India have nearly doubled since the pandemic began, and other Apple products have grown in popularity over time.