Hundreds of shoppers, on Friday, ignored pandemic fears to visit the opening of Ikea’s second Indian store in Mumbai, as the Swedish giant tries to lure the country’s burgeoning middle class with minimalist design and local influence, reported AFP.

Ikea is betting big on the vast but complex market of 1.3 billion people, mixing Swedish functionality with locally sourced Indian wares.

Located on the outskirts of Mumbai, the store comes two years after its first outlet opened in Hyderabad. However, it comes amid vastly changed circumstances with social distancing norms requiring customers to register in advance before visiting.

The new flagship store houses a 1,000-seater restaurant as well as the largest children’s section of any Ikea store worldwide. With an area equivalent to 10 football fields, it can accommodate up to 10,000 people.

Deputy store manager Preeti Budhraja said, “It has been beyond our expectations,” adding that customer slots for the next two weeks were already filled.

For the foreseeable future, however, only about 2,500 customers will be allowed to visit daily.

The canteen serves Ikea’s signature meatballs but without beef or pork in deference to local religious practice, as well as local favourites such as biryani.

With coronavirus cases nearing 10 million in India — but with economic activity returning to normal — Ikea plans to open two smaller stores in the financial capital by the end of next year.

“This is not a sprint… it’s a marathon”, said Budhraja.