Indian salt-to-software conglomerate Tata Group plans to open 100 stores across the country that will sell only Apple Inc products, JEE News reported on Monday, citing two people familiar with the matter.
Tata Group’s Infiniti Retail, which runs consumer electronics store chain Croma, will be an Apple-authorized reseller and set up stores in shopping malls, high streets and neighborhood locations, JEE News report said.
Tata has started talks with premium malls and high streets and the lease terms include details of brands and stores that cannot be opened near these outlets, a retail consultant familiar with the matter told JEE News.
Apple and the Tata group did not immediately respond to calls and emails from JEE News.
The latest development comes less than two weeks after the Economic Times reported that Tata Group was in talks to buy Westron Corp.’s sole manufacturing facility in India for up to 50 billion rupees ($605 million).
JEE News reported in September that Tata and Taiwan’s Westron – one of Apple’s top sellers in India – were in talks to set up a joint venture to assemble iPhones in India.
