Apple on hiring spree as it looks to open 1st flagship store in India - Details

Amid preparations to open its first flagship locations in India, Apple is hiring retail store workers and other staff members in the country. The company is expected to launch two stores - in Delhi and Mumbai - in the first half of this year. The launch had reportedly been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Apple's career page recently added openings for 12 different job functions, including technical specialist, business expert, senior manager, store leader and ‘genius’ that will be working from ‘various locations within India’. The somewhat cryptic listings were added on Thursday and many of the job descriptions also indicate flagship retail roles.

“We’re looking for people who get great satisfaction from helping people develop lifelong relationships with Apple every day. The Apple Store is a retail environment like no other — uniquely focused on delivering amazing customer experiences,” explains a listing for an Apple Retail ‘expert’.

It is pertinent to note here that the listings may indicate hundreds of job openings. A typical Apple Store has at least a hundred employees, with the number going up to around a thousand at flagship locations.

While reports about Apple's expansion into India have not been officially confirmed, the listings appear to indicate that the company is already looking at locations beyond the widely reported 22,000 square foot outlet in Mumbai.

In recent weeks, several individuals on LinkedIn have also announced that they have been hired for the yet-to-be-announced stores. Many of these posts were 'celebrated' on the social networking site by Renu Sevanthi, Apple's head of recruiting in India.

Plans for Apple's expansion into India appear to have been in the works for quite some time now. CEO Tim Cook had met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi some eight years ago, reportedly lobbying to open an Apple store in the country. He had also touched upon "the possibilities of manufacturing and retailing in India" during a 2016 interaction with the PM.

In February 2020, the CEO had told investors that the Apple Store would expand into India the following year. But with COVID-19 playing spoilsport, the brand had eventually opted to launch an online store in India last year.