Apple's Tim Cook to meet PM Modi as tech giant gears up for retail store launch

In addition, Cook is also scheduled to meet with the Minister of State for IT, Rajeev Chandrashekar, according to sources. The meeting is expected to take place on April 19, during which Cook is likely to discuss Apple's focus on India as both a manufacturer and a market.

According to data from the India Cellular and Electronics Association, India exported approximately $9 billion worth of smartphones between April 2022 and February 2023, with iPhones making up more than 50 percent of that figure.

Apple opened its first store in Mumbai on Monday, but it was only for a private event where bloggers and tech analysts could review the store's design and layout. The store will be open to the public starting Tuesday. Additionally, a second store will be inaugurated inside a mall in New Delhi on Thursday.

Until now, Apple has sold its products in India through resellers or e-commerce platforms such as Amazon. The new Mumbai store, located in the Reliance Jio World Drive mall, is situated among luxury clothing and jewellery brands such as Michael Kors, Kate Spade, and Swarovski.

The store measures 20,800 square feet, making it significantly larger than the planned Delhi outlet, according to local registration documents.