Apple restricts competitors from opening stores near its new Mumbai location

A so-called “exclusive zone” will be created around the flagship.

Apple is gearing up for the long-awaited opening of its first flagship store in Mumbai. India’s first Apple Store will begin accepting customers on April 18, 2023. It was revealed today that the company had secured a ban on other tech brands opening stores near the Apple Store. A so-called “exclusive zone” will be created around the flagship.

According to the Indian Economic Times, the lease agreement stipulated that 22 companies could not open their stores near the Apple Store.

Amazon, Facebook, Google, LG, Microsoft, Foxconn, Garmin, Hitachi, HP, Intel, Lenovo, Nest, Panasonic, Toshiba, HTC, Sony, Twitter, Bose, Dell, Devialet and IBM are among the brands that cannot compete with the Apple Store in VCS. Experts say the 22nd, the missing brand on the list, was Samsung.

The list includes IT companies considered competitors of Apple – some specialize in electronics production, others – in technology for Windows. With the “exclusive zone” agreement, Apple seeks to protect the new store after years of complicated steps to implement a plan to enter India.

The launch of the Apple Store in Mumbai will be followed by the opening the company’s second store in Delhi. The official opening of the Apple Store in India’s capital is scheduled for April 20.