Tech giant Apple is set to bolster its retail presence in India by opening four new exclusive stores.

Slated to open next year, these new stores will be located in the cities of Pune, Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, and Mumbai.

Apple has already operated two stores in India, one each in Delhi and Mumbai.

Apple retail senior vice-president Deirdre O'Brien said: "Our stores are incredible places to experience the magic of Apple, and it's been wonderful to deepen our connection with our customers in India. We're thrilled to build our teams as we plan to open more stores in India because we're inspired by the creativity and passion of our customers across this country.

"We can't wait for them to have even more opportunities to discover and shop for our amazing products and services, and connect with our extraordinary, knowledgeable team members."

In addition, Apple has announced the commencement of sales for the 'Made in India' iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max models this month.

This marks a significant step for Apple, which began its journey of manufacturing iPhones in India in 2017.

The entire iPhone 16 series will be produced in the country for both the domestic market and for exports to select international markets.

The tech giant started the manufacturing through its contract manufacturing partnership with Foxconn, Pegatron, and Tata Electronics.

Foxconn is responsible for the assembly of the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, and Pro Max models while Pegatron oversees the production of the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro.

Tata Electronics has been tasked with manufacturing the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus models.

In its second quarter of fiscal year 2024, Apple posted a net income of $23.63bn, down from $24.16bn in the year-ago quarter.