Photos: Ikea opens 1st store in India, aims to redefine shopping for middle-class

Ikea revolutionised homeware retail with affordable, self-assembly furniture with a Scandinavian twist, sold in stroll-around megastores offering a break for Swedish meatballs. On Thursday its first Indian outlet opens -- with success far from guaranteed. While Indians may be getting richer, creating an apparent golden opportunity for Ikea as in other emerging economies, spending levels remain low. The culture of DIY furnishing is also alien and local consumers retain their trust in Indian products. The world's biggest furniture retailer expects seven million people a year to throng its new store in the southern city of Hyderabad, the first of 25 outlets it hopes to open across the country of 1.25 billion people by 2025.