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Apple's first stores in India open next month

It's kind of bonkers that Apple doesn't already have a retail presence in India, a country with some 1.25 billion people, but that's the world we live in. For a little bit longer anyway. Cupertino's working to address this by partnering with Tata (yes, them) to put Apple shops inside several Croma stores in the region, according to The Times of India. The current plan is to open by next month's Diwali festival of lights. The Times also reports that because Apple hasn't set up shop on its own because it's been unable meet a mandatory ruling regarding "local-sourcing norms" for a foreign investment in retail.

Allying with Croma sidesteps that; Apple devices are available through other means in the country, but apparently something akin to a traditional Apple store doesn't exist. To that end, decor and employee training will come from the tech giant itself, much like domestic locations do. Why's this all so important? Well, many in tech (including Xiaomi) feel the country's the next big thing in terms of expansion.

[Image credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images]