Finally, Apple Inc. to Set up Official Stores In India with Cromā

According to The Economic Times, the tech giant has signed an exclusively partnership with Croma, chain of consumer electronics stores owned by Tata. With this, a new chapter of technological expansion in the country has begun. All of the locations are expected to open by November 11 and will be between 400 and 500 square feet in size.

However, at first it is being said that, the Apple Stores will be launched as part of the Croma stores, especially at 6 locations where Apple Stores will be accessible to prospective buyers in the form of counters.

An official of the Infiniti Retail, the company that owns Croma store told media that these stores will launch the Apple outlets in India.

Such stores will come up in time for the Diwali festive season, and as a pilot project will be limited to Croma stores in Malad, Juhu, Oberoi Mall, Phoenix Mall and Ghatkopar, as well as Jayanagar in Bangalore, ET reports.

Of course, AAPL stock relies on high price points in the hundreds of dollars, which helps, but the Apple Store’s superiority to high-end retailers like Macy’s (M) and Tiffany’s (TIF) puts the gadget maker in good company.

Everything in the store – ranging from the design to the furniture to the staff inside stores – will be on Apple’s global benchmarks.

Recently Tim Cook also met with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during which Apple’s CEO said that India holds a “very special place in the heart of every Apple employee” because it was the country Steve Jobs visited as a young man searching for inspiration. Devices are also available at multi-brand consumer electronics and mobile retail chains and a few of the larger neighbourhood phone stores.

The answer lies in sourcing rules within India that prohibit certain kinds of direct foreign investment in retail. Croma, meanwhile, has 97 stores across India with a customer base of 3.8 million.