Apple is set to open its first retail store in India on Tuesday, April 18. The store is located in Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai’s central hub for finance arts, and entertainment. And yes, it happens to be the first Apple store in India. But there’s more to it than being just an Apple Store where folks in India can get Apple devices. Read on to find out more about the Apple BKC store.
Being the One of the Most Energy-Efficient Apple Stores in the World
Apple said that the BKC store in Mumbai is one of the most energy-efficient Apple stores globally. True enough, a dedicated solar energy array powers up the store eliminating the reliance on fossil fuels to operate. This also makes Apple BKC store a carbon-neutral facility that runs on 100% renewable energy sources.
As soon as customers enter the store, two stone walls sourced from Rajasthan will greet them. The store also has a cantilevered mezzanine reachable from the ground floor by a 14-meter-long stainless steel staircase.
Customers will also be in awe of the Apple BKC store’s triangular handcrafted timber ceiling. The ceiling extends beyond the store’s glass facade to the underside of the exterior canopy. According to Apple, this reflects the unique geometry of the store.
Apple BKC Store Offerings and More
Like any other official Apple retail store worldwide, the Apple BKC will offer an array of the latest Apple products. These include iPhones, iPad, Macs, AirPods, Apple Watch, Apple TVs, and AirTags. More than 100 competent staff members will be ready to assist local customers and foreign tourists. The staff of the Apple BKC store collectively speaks 20 languages.
This ensures that foreign tourists will be properly served and their questions answered by competent Apple retail store workers.
Local customers who prefer to order online can do so and pick their items up at their most convenient time. The Apple BKC store also has the familiar Apple Trade-In Program that customers can choose to avail themselves of to upgrade their current Apple devices.
Apple BKC Store to Hold Special Today at Apple Series, ‘Mumbai Rising’
To celebrate its opening, the Apple BKC Store will host a special Today at Apple series entitled, “Mumbai Rising.” This will run starting on April 18 and last through summer in India. The series will bring forth visitors, local artists, and creatives to indulge in the latest Apple products and services. What makes this Today at Apple special is the fact that the activities to be conducted will celebrate the creativity and culture of India.
The special Today at Apple series in the Apple BKC Store includes the usual music lab, photo lab, design lab, and art lab. But as mentioned, the different activities within these sessions will showcase India’s creativity and culture.
So for instance, at the photo lab, one of the sessions is called “Portraits of Resistance,” with famous photographer Prarthna Singh. In this session, she will share her journey as a female photographer and discuss the power of photography as a tool for active engagement and resistance. The activity will focus on harnessing the power of the iPhone’s portrait mode.
For the video lab session, award-winning director Arati Kadav will share her knowledge of creative filming and her creative process to transform a storyboard into an engaging sci-fi short film.
Location, Opening Hours, and Other Details You Need to Know
The Apple BKC store opens April 18 at 11:00 a.m. IST. It is located at Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai. The store is now accepting reservations for a spot at Today at Apple’s sessions from April 18 to May 25. You may want to download the interactive wallpapers celebrating the store’s opening or listen to a curated Apple Music BKC playlist as well.
All images credit: Apple, Inc.
Arnold:
It’s good to see this store opening up in the Subcontinent. This marks a new level of commitment on Apple’s part to formally expand its presence that market, at a time of both unprecedented economic and scientific expansion into burgeoning industries (eg aerospace and energy), and sociopolitical challenges (lapses in key indicators of democracy and the continued rise of sectarian intolerance).
This is but one more small but meaningful vote of confidence from one of the world’s leading tech giants and the world’s most valuable company by market cap (at least the last time yours truly checked) that India will successfully navigate all of these challenges and emerge a more robust society and market as a result.