Top News

Apple is preparing to open its first official retail store in Hyderabad, according to job listings on its careers portal. The company has begun hiring for multiple Apple Retail roles, indicating a launch in the coming months. The move is part of Apple’s broader push to expand its physical presence across major Indian cities.

Apple is gearing up to open its first official retail store in Hyderabad, according to recent job postings on the company's careers portal. The move signals Apple's continued commitment to expanding its physical retail footprint across India's major metropolitan cities, something that was reiterated by CEO Time Cook in the latest earnings call as well.

While the exact location remains unconfirmed, the company has begun actively recruiting for multiple positions, including Senior Manager, Business Expert, Technical Specialist, Creative, and Operations Expert roles, all tagged to Hyderabad under the 'Apple Retail' division. The job postings indicate that the store opening is likely in the coming months.

Apple's aggressive retail expansion strategy

The Hyderabad store is part of Apple's broader strategy to deepen its retail presence in India. Earlier speculation had suggested that the premium retail hub T-Square in Hyderabad might host the store, though this now appears unlikely.

Apple's retail expansion plans also include a second store in Mumbai, set to open at Sky City Mall in Borivali (East). The company signed a 10-year, 10-month lease in June 2025 for a 12,616 square foot space on the mall's ground floor, with a monthly rental of Rs 17.35 lakh. This store will be Apple's sixth in India and its second in Mumbai, located approximately 13 miles north of the flagship Apple BKC store.

During Apple's fiscal first quarter 2026 earnings call, CEO Tim Cook confirmed the company's retail expansion plans. 'We were excited to open our fifth store in India in December, and have plans to open another store in Mumbai soon,' Cook stated, highlighting the strong retail performance and customer demand in the market.

Building on last year's momentum

In 2025, Apple significantly accelerated its retail presence in India, opening three new stores. The company launched Apple Hebbal in Bengaluru in September, followed by Apple Koregaon Park in Pune the same month. Most recently, Apple Noida opened its doors in December 2025 at the DLF Mall of India, marking the company's fifth store in the country and its second in the National Capital Region.

This expansion comes after Apple's first two Indian stores—Apple BKC in Mumbai and Apple Saket in Delhi—opened in April 2023 amidst much fanfare, with CEO Tim Cook and Senior Vice President of Retail Deirdre O'Brien personally inaugurating the flagship locations.

Apple's strategic focus on India

Apple's aggressive retail expansion reflects India's growing importance to the company's global strategy. The country has emerged as Apple's fourth-largest market globally, trailing only in the US, China, and Japan. In 2024, Apple shipped a record 12 million iPhones in India, a 35 percent year-on-year increase, and broke into the top five smartphone brands in the country for the first time, capturing a 10 percent market share in the fourth quarter.

The company's first two stores in Mumbai and Delhi reportedly contribute nearly 20 percent of Apple's business in India, demonstrating the commercial viability of direct retail operations in the market. Industry analysts expect iPhone shipments in India to reach 13–14 million units in 2025, driven largely by demand for the iPhone 13 and iPhone 15 series.

'Our stores are incredible places to experience the magic of Apple, and it's been wonderful to deepen our connection with our customers in India,' said Deirdre O'Brien, Apple's Senior Vice President of Retail. 'We're thrilled to build our teams as we plan to open more stores in India because we're inspired by the creativity and passion of our customers across this country.'

Apple's manufacturing push in India

Apple's retail expansion complements its growing manufacturing operations in India. The company began assembling iPhones in the country in 2017 and has since significantly scaled up production. Between April and July 2025, iPhones worth $7.5 billion were exported from India, with the US share of India's iPhone exports rising from 53 percent in the first half of 2024 to 78 percent by June 2025.