Indian retail chain to open Apple stores

India’s Reliance Retail Digital has signed a marketing and distribution agreement with Apple to set up iStores, according to reports.

The iStores by Reliance Digital would be standalone stores occupying 185 square meters offering Apple products ranging from Macintosh computers to iPods and iPhones. Reliance Retail is planning to open up 10 iStores by the end of this year, including its first store in Bangalore by the end of October.

"The partnership will benefit both. While it will give Apple immediate presence and scale, it will give Reliance Digital mileage as the stores would be co-branded. Apple will invest in the marketing development," a Reliance Retail spokesperson said.

Currently, Reliance Digital, the consumer electronics chain of the Reliance Retail, has one store that opened earlier this year in the national capital region (NCR).