NEW DELHI, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Swedish furniture chain IKEA opened its first store in India Thursday, officials said.
IKEA opened its massive 400,000-square-foot showroom on the outskirts of southern Indian city of Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana.
According to company officials, the store showcases 7,500 products of the Swedish brand.
Customers were greeted by IKEA staff members in blue-and-yellow company polo shirts, waving India and Sweden flags.
The company kicked off its retail journey five years after it received approval to invest in India. Officials said it is eyeing to open more stores in all major cities in India over the next few years.
The company has employed 950 people directly and another 1,500 indirectly at its store.
The Swedish multinational group designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture, kitchen appliances and home accessories.
The company plans to open 25 stores and employ 15,000 staff in the country by 2025. IKEA has said that half of its India workforce would be women.
