Apple signs 4 lakh sq ft office space in Bengaluru

Ahead of the opening of its first store in India, Apple has reportedly leased a commercial office space in Bengaluru. The 4 lakh sq ft office is located in the city's central business district. The company has an existing lease of 50,000 sq ft in the northern part of Benglauru with RMZ.

The tech giant might vacate the RMZ office site and consolidate its operations at CBD. The RMZ office is used for Apple's design and development accelerator that works to expand the country's iOS developer community. The new office will be at Minsk Square building. Apple has signed a deal with Prestige Estate for annual rental of Rs 82 crore, according to a report in Times of India.

The deal also has come days after Apple launched its online store in India. It is aiming to open the first store in Mumbai nex year. The new Bengaluru office would host a large technology centre that can seat 4,000 employees. However, the number could reduce as companies are aiming to de-densify workspaces due to coronavirus.

The iPhone-maker also listed 18 vacations on its website in September, out of which seven are in Bengaluru and the rest in Hyderabad, Chennai and Gurugram.

Apple that has been operational in India for over 20 years has been selling its products through authorised sellers in offline and online retail. The company is planning to expand in India. The company recently started assembling the iPhone 11 and the new iPhone SE in India. It also plans to open its offline store at the Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai.

"We're proud to be expanding in India and want to do all we can to support our customers and their communities. We know our users are relying on technology to stay connected, engage in learning, and tap into their creativity, and by bringing the Apple Store online to India, we are offering our customers the very best of Apple at this important time," said says Deirdre O'Brien, Apple's senior vice president of Retail + People at the launch of the online store.

Also read: Apple's online store in India: Special student pricing, online specialists, discounts on offer