According to The Economic Times, citing two insider sources familiar with the matter, the Tata Group, India’s biggest conglomerate, plans to open 100 exclusive Apple stores across the country, according to the report.
There is a report that claims Infiniti Retail, owner of the Croma chain of consumer electronics stores owned by the Tata Group, will become an Apple authorised retailer and will open stores in shopping centers, high streets, and residential neighborhoods to offer Apple products. It was already reported that Tata was in the process of acquiring leases for these properties.
The Apple Store will soon have 100 stores in India
Moreover, according to a retail consultant who informed the media, the lease terms also include information about the brands and stores in the vicinity of these outlets which cannot be opened.
Apple and Tata Group have been contacted by Reuters for an official comment, but the company has not yet responded to this request.
READ MORE: Model Y production to be temporarily halted at Tesla factory
After the Economic Times reported less than two weeks ago that the Tata Group had been in talks with Wistron Corp. about the possibility of purchasing the company’s only manufacturing plant in India for an estimated $605 million, the latest development comes as a surprise.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Tata and Wistron, Taiwan’s largest Apple products vendor in India, were reportedly discussing the possibility of forming a joint venture to produce Apple iPhones in the country.
In spite of the fact that China’s COVID-19-related lockdowns are preventing Apple from producing its current generation iPhone 14 series, the company is still dealing with production issues. The lockdowns put a significant strain on Apple’s largest iPhone manufacturer Foxconn, which is working at a significantly reduced output capacity due to the lockdowns.
