After getting a nod from the government, the Cupertino tech giant has begun hunting for prime real estate to set up its flagship Apple Stores in India, reports The Times of India.

Leading real estate firms seem to be scampering around trying to find massive plots in major cities not just for Apple but for Samsung as well. According to the same source, Samsung too has plans to set up massive retail stores and is looking for properties that are 15,000 to 20,000 square feet. Samsung may be looking to setup a store that is similar to the massive one in Korea (Samsung D’Light) and will add to the already existing 1,100 stores in India. The Korean company will also be setting up smaller 2,000-2,500 square feet stores just for its smartphones and its rumored stores will be operated in COCO (company Owned and Company Operated) mode instead of current franchise mode in which Samsung Cafe’s are being operated .

Apple on the other hand is looking to set up its famous (and in some cases even patented) glass stores similar to the one at Fifth Avenue in New York. The same will be 2,000-3,000 square feet in size and will also include separate spaces for technical support and rooms for holding workshops.

Executives from top brokerage firms claim that Apple is looking for prime retail locations in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Pune and Hyderabad for its first phase of the larger stores. The second phase will consist of smaller outlets.

(Also read: 5 unique iPhone gadgets that you need to try)

The competition is heating up and after ignoring India for long, Apple CEO Tim Cook does pretty serious and the same was revealed during a recent town hall meeting Cook commented that 4G LTE networks are not always available in an emerging market, which why India makes for a great opportunity for Apple to sell it products. Tim Cook also mentioned that Apple is preparing to bring its own Apple retail stores in the country as well

For now, all eyes will be on Tim Cook tonight as the CEO unveils its revamped 4-inch smartphone tagged as the iPhone SE. The smartphone is expected to pack in specs similar to the iPhone 5s  with a new design but not 3D Touch, which will remain exclusive to the iPhone 6s models for now.