Google is reportedly preparing to establish offline stores in India. Once the physical store opens, it will be the first store outside the United States.
On the 20th (local time), Reuters quoted anonymous sources stating that Google has identified candidate locations for offline stores in New Delhi, the nearby Gurugram, and the financial hub of Mumbai. According to sources, the final stages for confirming these candidate sites are underway.
Google currently operates five offline stores in the United States, but there are no stores outside the U.S. The store in India will occupy an area of 15,000 square feet (approximately 1,394 square meters), and it is expected to take at least six months before opening. This store will sell Google smartphones, including the Pixel phone, watches, and earphones. One source noted, "The goal is to compete with Apple," explaining that "they are particularly targeting the luxury institutional sector."
India is considered the second-largest smartphone market in the world, following China, with 712 million smartphone users. Previously, Google promised to invest $10 billion (approximately 14.4 trillion won) in India, viewing it as a key growth market, and is producing Google Pixel phones in the country.