Tata group to open 100 small, exclusive Apple stores in India: Report

Apple is in talks with Tata-owned Infiniti Retail, which runs Croma stores, to open the Apple stores spreading across 500 to 600 sq ft

The Tata Group will soon open 100 small exclusive Apple stores of 500-600 sq ft each across the country. Apple is in talks with Tata-owned Infiniti Retail for the stores, a report by the Economic Times (ET) said. Infiniti Retail runs the Croma stores in India. 

The Apple stores will be opened in malls as well as high-street and neighbourhood locations and will be smaller than Apple Premium Reseller stores. Typically, Premium Reseller stores spread over 1,000 sq ft. The smaller stores will sell iPhones, iPads and watches. 

"Tata has already started discussions with premium malls and high streets for space," a retail consultant aware of the development told ET.

Apple's first company-owned flagship store is likely to launch in India in the March quarter in Mumbai.  

The industry experts added that Apple had told its local franchise partners that its company-owned stores increase sales for both partners and retailers.

According to CyberMedia Research (CMR), the sales volume of iPhones in India was over 1.7 million between July and September.  

Apple is focussing on boosting sales in India and planning to expand its production capability. 

Another report by Mint said that it has also told the three producers in India, Wistron, Foxconn and Pegatron, to triple their production in the next two years. The Cupertino-based tech giant is adding manpower and assembly lines to achieve that.

"They're looking to scale up the volumes that they make from India...it can rise by more than three times what they aim to make this year," an industry executive told Mint. 

With this, the country may even be able to export India-made iPhones.