New Delhi, Apr 5 (IANS): Apples own brick-and-mortar store in India will further strengthen the overall experience of being in an Apple ecosystem for its fans in the country, experts said on Wednesday.

With its own branded retail store -- the first one being opened in Mumbai this month -- Apple will be able to control end-to-end user experience which will further take its brand image to another level.

"We have seen many stories around the world about consumers sharing positive purchase experiences from the Apple branded stores and India will be no different," Counterpoint Research Director Tarun Pathak told IANS.

Apple has finally lifted the curtains off its much-awaited own branded retail store at Jio World Drive Mall in Mumbai, officially marking the upcoming opening of Apple BKC.

Inspired by the iconic 'Kaali Peeli' taxi art unique to Mumbai, the Apple BKC creative includes colourful interpretations of the decals combined with many Apple products and services that will be available for our customers to discover.

According to Counterpoint data, Mumbai contributed 10 per cent of iPhone sales and the second largest for Apple, after Delhi, in 2022.

Over the past couple of years, Apple's India strategy has been coming along well, including increased domestic manufacturing, aggressive marketing and affordability initiatives, and the success of the Apple India Online store.

"Offline retail continues to be critical for all consumer tech companies in a large, diverse market like India. Indian Consumers love to touch, feel and explore the products, before making their purchase considerations," Prabhu Ram, Head, Industry Intelligence Group, CMR, told IANS.

Interestingly, the premium smartphone segment in India has been growing in double digits.

"The Apple-owned flagship retail stores come with favorable tailwinds, and are a critical lynchpin in Apple's bid to win the India market. Apple's retail stores globally set a standard in terms of consumer experience, staff knowledge and expertise, and the service standards, beyond products," Ram noted.

Apple will launch a retail store in New Delhi at a later date.

Apple sold 2 million iPhones in India in the holiday quarter (Q4) of 2022, registering 18 per cent growth (quarter-on-quarter) for its flagship device.

The India market share of iPhones reached 5.5 per cent for 2022, an 11 per cent growth (year-on-year).