Tim Cook greets first customers as Apple debuts India retail store

An 'excited' Apple CEO Tim Cook on Tuesday greeted a huge crowd of people and first customers amid desi drum beats as he opened the company's first branded retail store in the country. Cook came out from the Mumbai retail store and took selfies with the first Apple buyers who came in big numbers.

He welcomed customers at Apple BKC, located at Mumbai's bustling Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) financial, arts, and entertainment district, at the Jio World Drive Mall.

The new Apple flagship retail stores in Mumbai, followed by one in New Delhi and backed by aggressive sales initiatives, will fuel Apple's growth in the year ahead.

"Apple BKC is a reflection of Mumbai's vibrant culture and brings together the best of Apple in a beautiful, welcoming space for connection and community," said Deirdre O'Brien, Apple's senior vice president of Retail.

Apple BKC will offer a special Today at Apple series, 'Mumbai Rising', running from Tuesday through the summer.

Bringing visitors, local artists, and creatives together, these free sessions featuring Apple products and services will offer hands-on activities that celebrate the local community and culture.

Apple BKC is designed to be one of the most energy-efficient Apple Store locations in the world, with a dedicated solar array and zero reliance on fossil fuels for store operations.

The store is operationally carbon neutral, running on 100 percent renewable energy.

Each tile is made from 408 pieces of timber, forming 31 modules per tile with a total of 1,000 tiles that make up the ceiling.

There are over 450,000 individual timber elements, all of which were assembled in Delhi.

Upon entering the store, customers are greeted by two stone walls sourced from Rajasthan and a 14-meter-long stainless steel staircase connecting the ground level and the cantilevered mezzanine. Apple BKC features more than 100 team members who collectively speak over 20 languages.