Six million Ikea shoppers expected to hit up India’s first store

Ikea

MUMBAI: In a milestone that’s been more than a decade in the making, India’s first Ikea store will open today, bringing inexpensive Nordic-inspired furnishings and food to the world’s fastest-growing middle class.

Ikea expects to welcome as many as six million visitors a year to its 13-acre complex in Hitec City, on the outskirts of Hyderabad, India’s fourth-biggest city. The 400,000 sq ft showroom contains some 7,500 products, of which about 1,000 will sell for less than 200 rupees (US$2.91) apiece. It’s the first of 25 stores Ikea plans to open across the nation by 2025.