Apple has signed a 10-year lease on an 8,000-square-foot unit in Bengaluru’s up-market Phoenix Mall of Asia. The company will pay ₹2.09 crore ($244,000) in annual rent and share 2 percent of store revenue with the landlord for the first three years, rising to 2.5 percent after that. The lease also blocks rival electronics brands from renting nearby space, giving Apple an exclusive zone inside the mall.
India retail network grows
When the doors open—industry watchers expect a late-2025 launch—Bengaluru will join Apple BKC in Mumbai and Apple Saket in New Delhi. Although the new store is half the size of the Mumbai flagship, it matches Delhi’s footprint and extends Apple’s retail reach into India’s tech capital.
Sales momentum fuels expansion
Tim Cook has called India “a huge opportunity,” and the numbers back him up. In Apple’s most recent quarter, devices assembled in India accounted for about half of all iPhones sold in the United States. Notably, Apple’s imports from India doubled in April when tariff fears disrupted China-sourced shipments.
Manufacturing pivot continues
Apple began diversifying its supply chain after pandemic lockdowns choked Chinese factories. Since then, suppliers such as Foxconn have poured billions into new Indian sites, and Apple has hinted that nearly every iPhone 18 sold in America could roll off Indian lines. The upcoming Bengaluru outlet will give the brand a high-profile showroom directly adjacent to those production hubs.
Why this matters now
Apple’s retail push lands as rival smartphone makers flood India’s mid-range market. By adding a store in Bengaluru, Apple tightens its link between local shoppers and local assembly lines. Moreover, a larger retail footprint could reassure suppliers and regulators that Apple is committed to long-term jobs and investment—even as global trade tensions rise.
