Three sources familiar with the matter said Alphabet Inc's Google is close to deciding on locations in India, where it will open its first-ever physical retail stores outside the United States.
Google counts India as a key growth market and has already committed to investing $10 billion in the country.
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Google eyes the Indian retail market
Currently, the tech giant has only five physical retail stores for its products such as Pixel phones, watches and earbuds, all in the United States.
Google is in the advanced stages of finalising locations in or around New Delhi, and Mumbai.
According to sources, the stores could be around 15,000 square feet and will take at least another six months to open, though the timeline could change. [Source: Firstpost]
The IT hub of Bengaluru was also considered, but New Delhi and Mumbai are the frontrunners, the source mentioned.
"The idea is to compete with Apple ... especially to target the luxury segment," said the person, adding more stores will be considered if the initial ones do well.
Google has not yet commented on the matter.
Currently, Google sells its products in India through authorised retailers, as does Apple. However, Apple CEO Tim Cook visited India in 2023 to open its first company-run stores in Mumbai, followed by New Delhi.
Evidently, Google is following the retail strategy of its rival, Apple Inc which has 500 plus stores worldwide.
Prices of Pixel phones in India range between $370 and $2,000 for top-end models, while for Apple's iPhones, it ranges between $520-$2,130.
Incidentally, the tech leader Google has also started making Pixel smartphones in India.
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