Tim Cook arrives in Mumbai and will greet customers at Apple's first location in BKC

On Tuesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook will welcome consumers as the company launches its initial store in Mumbai. The American entrepreneur is expected to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Deputy IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar during his visit, according to reports citing sources.

The store's opening falls on the company's 25th anniversary in India. The Reliance Jio World Drive shopping centre is home to Apple's very first store.

After arriving in the city on Monday evening, Cook posted a team photo to Twitter. Regarding Apple's plans in India, he had earlier praised the nation's "beautiful culture and incredible energy."

"Hello, Mumbai!"We're eager to greet our clients at the brand-new Apple BKC tomorrow," he wrote.

On Monday, Apple gave bloggers and tech reviewers a behind-the-scenes tour of its Mumbai location. The 20,000 square foot store will be followed on 20 April by a comparable building in Saket in New Delhi.

Apple will pay a high rent of Rs. 42 lakh a month, with a yearly increase of 15%. Additionally, during the first three years, the business will give the space owners 2% of its revenue share.

22 other companies, including Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft, reportedly aren't allowed to own property or have advertisements close to the new Apple store.

"India has such a beautiful culture and an incredible energy, and we're excited to build on our long history -- supporting our customers, investing in local communities, and working together to build a better future with innovations that serve humanity," Cook said in a statement about Apple's first stores opening in India.

Despite having a comparable appearance to every other Apple Store in the globe, Apple BKC has undergone minor Indianization. To begin with, the store was created with a "kaali peeli" concept that was modelled after Mumbai's famous black and yellow taxis.

The walls of the store are made of Rajasthani stone that was particularly procured, while the roof is decorated with 4.5 lakh pieces of wood. The 100 employees on the floor will also speak 18 Indian languages, highlighting Apple's commitment to inclusion.

The business also created a unique playlist on the Apple Music app earlier this week that was customised to the sounds of Mumbai and Delhi. To commemorate the opening of its first store in India, Apple also issued exclusive wallpapers for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Between April 2022 and February of this year, cellphones worth $9 billion were shipped from India, with iPhones making up over 50% of that total, according to figures from the India Cellular and Electronics Association.

Deputy IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are also expected to meet with Cook on Wednesday, according to the news agency Reuters.

This week will see the opening of Apple's first local stores in India, which are anticipated to function as important retail and showcase locations for the business and possibly increase sales. These shops will serve as support centre as well, making it simpler for customers to return goods and get them fixed.