Samsung opened its largest global retail outlet for its products in India, as it doubles down efforts in the world’s number two smartphone market where it is competing with Chinese brands including Xiaomi.

The store in the city of Bengaluru’s former Opera House occupies around 33,000 square feet. In a statement, the vendor explained the site is its largest mobile experience centre in the world and offers consumers the chance to try out technologies including VR, artificial intelligence and IoT.

Samsung will also display its full range of smartphones and wearable devices at the site (pictured, right), alongside other consumer electronics including TVs and home appliances.

The company plans to open similar experience centres in ten more cities. Mohandeep Singh, SVP of the mobile business at Samsung India, told Reuters India “is an extremely important market” for the vendor. The stores “will really help us further consolidate our share as we move forward,” he said.

Samsung also opened the world’s biggest smartphone plant outside Indian capital New Delhi two months ago. In its statement, the vendor noted it operates two manufacturing facilities, five R&D centres and one design centre in India: it is an active contributor to global innovation and the Make in India initiative, it said.

In July, Canalys data showed Samsung and Xiaomi recorded their best-ever quarter in India during Q2, each shipping 9.9 million units and together accounting for 60 per cent of total shipments.

Apple, meanwhile, faced fresh headwinds in the country following the departure of three senior executives and weak iPhone sales in the first half of the year, Bloomberg reported.