Trust Apple, among the world’s most valuable brands, to turn design and innovation on its head. The company previewed its 20,000-sq-ft Mumbai outlet at Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), the first Apple Store in India, on Monday, ahead of its launch on Tuesday.

Apple stores are globally recognised for their unique features that make them stand out in the retail landscape. The ‘Apple BKC’ doesn’t disappoint on that front, with a modern and minimalist design.

A glass facade extends into a spacious interior, where a 14-metre-long stainless steel staircase connects the ground level and the cantilevered mezzanine floor on one side, with trees lining the other. Timber, tiles, walls and flooring have been sourced from states like Rajasthan to give the store an Indian touch, with elements of the triangular, handcrafted ceiling assembled in Delhi.

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Running completely on renewable energy, the Mumbai store boasts of a 100-member strong retail team, half of them being women.

But the emphasis quite clearly is on the hero product — iPhones, MacBooks, iPads, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple TV are on display on tables, walls and avenues across the store. There are accessories, too, such as the tracking device AirTag. The Apple BKC also offers the Apple Pickup service, which allows customers to place an order online and pick up products from the store.

“At Apple, our customers are at the centre of everything we do, and our teams are excited to celebrate this moment with them as we open our first retail store in India,” Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president, retail, said on Monday. “Apple BKC brings together the best of Apple in a beautiful, welcoming space for connection and community,” she said.

Like its global counterparts, Apple BKC will offer a special ‘Today at Apple’ series, called ‘Mumbai Rising’, from Tuesday through the summer. Bringing visitors, local artistes and creative people together, these free sessions will feature Apple products and services that will offer hands-on activities that celebrate the local community and culture.

India is one of Apple’s fastest-growing strategic markets, benefiting from the company’s plan to diversify its manufacturing capabilities beyond China, sector experts said.

While Apple has been manufacturing older iPhone models in India since 2017, it began assembling the most recent smartphone models in 2022, with the iPhone 14.

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According to the International Data Corporation, iPhone shipments in India stood at 6.7 million units in 2022 against 4.8 million in 2021 and 2.7 million in 2020.

Apple also captured 25% of ‘Made in India’ smartphone shipments in terms of value in 2022, as compared to 12% in 2021, according to Counterpoint Research. Among cities, Mumbai, accounted for 10% of iPhone sales in India, trailing only Delhi, which accounted for 11% of sales, it said.