Although Apple is not yet making an official announcement about opening flagship stores in India, the tech company has already started hiring retail store workers in the country, The Verge reported.
This implies that the Cupertino-based tech giant could soon open its first flagship locations in the world's second-biggest smartphone market possibly as soon as this quarter, according to The Financial Times, which first reported the news.
Job Listings Show That Apple Needs Workers For 12 Different Job Roles
Based on the company's recent job listings, it will need workers for 12 different job functions in various locations within India. Some of the positions that need to be filled are store leaders, senior managers, technical specialists, business experts, Genius Bar workers, and more.
Since a typical Apple Store has at least 100 employees, the 12 listings imply hundreds of job openings for workers in India. In addition, flagship locations can have up to 1,000 workers.
One of the job functions on Apple's website, the "market leader," describes managing teams "across Apple Stores."
This could indicate that the company is planning to put up several locations aside from the widely reported 22,000-square-foot location, which is set to open in Mumbai as early as March.
In addition, according to reports, Apple is also working to bring a 10,000 to 12,000-square-foot store in New Delhi. Along with this are several other stores in the country. However, as of writing, it's unclear when they will be opened.
Meanwhile, on LinkedIn, at least five employees in Mumbai and New Delhi have announced that they have been hired for the yet-to-be-announced stores.
One said that she had been hired as Lead Genius while another said she had been named a Senior Manager.
In a post on the social networking site, Apple's head of recruiting in India, Renu Sevanthi, "celebrated" several of the announcements.
Read Also: Apple Could Shift Some iPad Production to India To Diversify Supply Chain
Earlier Reports Suggest That Apple is Planning to Expand Stores in India
Apple did not immediately comment regarding the matter. Likewise, the company did not confirm plans to open its first stores in India, according to The Financial Times.
However, in February 2020, CEO Tim Cook told investors that Apple Store is planning to expand to India the following year. According to Cook, he was not content to leave retail sales to franchise partners.
Later that year, the company's online store debuted in India, greeting online shoppers with "Namaste." Despite this, physical stores did not emerge in the country.
The plans to put up physical stores in India were delayed due to the Covid pandemic. It also got pushed back for the second time last year.
As Apple attempts to diversify manufacturing from China, the expansion is an important move for the company. It will give momentum to its production operations in India.
According to supply chain experts, Apple has the ambition to control all aspects of the customer experience, starting from Apple-designed chips in its phones to Apple Store retail clerks.
In 2015, Cook visited and met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to reports, he lobbied to open an Apple Store in the country.
However, based on a protectionist rule, foreign companies selling goods directly to consumers in India must source 30 percent of components locally.
But since then, the rules have been relaxed. In addition, in 2017, Apple suppliers began assembling iPhones in India.
Related Article: Apple Could Possibly Move 25% of iPhone Production to India by 2025, Analysts Say
