A new report says that India’s Tata Group is set to open 100 Apple-authorized reseller locations through its Infiniti Retail branch nationwide.
According to “two people aware of the development”, Economic Times (opens in new tab) reports that Apple is striking up a partnership with Tata-owned Infiniti retail to open 100 outlets of 500-600 sq ft in malls, high-street, and neighborhood locations.
Currently, the most significant Apple premium reseller in India is Unicorn, which operates more than 30 stores under the brand name Uni, with plans to open 4-6 new stores announced last year.
Plans in motion for India’s Apple stores
According to the report Tata is already in talks with premium malls and high streets over lease terms which include a ban on certain types of brands and stores that cannot be opened near the Apple reseller locations.
Apple has vastly increased its presence in India, with manufacturing partners pouring investment into iPhone manufacturing in the country, driven by very generous government subsidies as Apple seeks to reduce its reliance on China as a manufacturing base.
Apple was expected to launch its first-ever Apple store in 2020. Tim Cook announced the project in 2019, but the store has been delayed numerous times because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The store is now tipped for 2023, with 22,000 sq ft of retail space in Mumbai’s Jio World Drive Mall earmarked for the store.
Neither Apple nor Tata has confirmed these plans publicly, and iMore has reached out to Apple for comment on the matter. There is no reported timeline for the stores, but an injection of premium reseller locations could make it much easier for customers in India to get their hands on Apple’s best iPhones, iPads, Macs, and much more in the future. Next year, that could include major upgrades to product lines including the iPhone 15, and a new Apple VR headset slated for 2023.
