For many years people have complained that Apple gives little importance to India. There are no Apple stores in the country and the company's iconic products , expensive as they are, get more so as they come into India.
But in fact, Apple needs India because it happens to be a massive market when others have been saturated. Sales of many of the important products from Apple are slowing for the first time and observers are talking about the beginning of the end of what has been the world's most valued company and calling for a reinvention.
Late on Tuesday night, Apple's CEO Tim Cook landed in India on what is ironically his first ever visit to the country. He is here to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom he has met before in the US on the premiere's visit there. There are no official announcements regarding Tim Cook's agenda in India and his talks with Modi, but reports say that talks will include attempting to sell refurbished devices, particularly the iPhone, in India so that a larger base of customers can be tapped. Cook will also meet telecom companies to work with them to sell more Apple devices in India. Airtel and Aircel have been previously involved in special deals to sell the iPhone with data plans. With 4G and LTE spreading across India, Cook believes there is scope for sales of his iPhones in the country.
All Apple devices need Internet connectivity too even begin working, unlike some phones where you can initialise the device and stay off the internet thereafter if you choose to.
In Mumbai, where Tim Cook has landed, he is reported to be meeting Tata Group Chairman Cyrus Mistry and Tata Consultancy Services CEO N Chandrasekaran, and possibly Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. There are also reports that he will dine with actor Shah Rukh Khan.
Tim Cook will travel to Telangana where he has meetings with Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and IT minister KT Rama Rao.
Apple on Wednesday (18 May) announced a new initiative ton engineering talent and accelerating growth for India’s iOS developer community.The company will establish a Design and Development Accelerator in Bengaluru, the home of India’s startup scene. Developers in India make apps for iOS, and the initiative is thought to provide additional, specialised support for them.Apple’s team will work to instruct developers on best practices, help them hone their skills and transform the design, quality and performance of their apps on the iOS platform.
“India is home to one of the most vibrant and entrepreneurial iOS development communities in the world,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “With the opening of this new facility in Bengaluru, we’re giving developers access to tools which will help them create innovative apps for customers around the world.”
“This is a huge vote of confidence in India’s developer community and a tremendous opportunity to gain world-class design and development expertise,” said Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal. “Apple’s support will help drive growth and accelerate progress among the country’s vast talent pool.”
“We have worked closely with Apple to transform the Snapdeal app and offer our users the best possible experience,” said Snapdeal co-founder and CEO Kunal Bahl. “Apple’s expert guidance on the interface and user experience has helped us build an app that our consumers love. We are thrilled Apple will have a local presence which will amplify our efforts to develop more high-quality apps for our digital commerce ecosystem.”
“Apple’s investment in Bengaluru through its iOS Development Accelerator will have far-reaching effects for the area’s rapidly growing and highly talented developer community,” said NASSCOM President R Chandrashekhar. “The skills and training they gain through this effort will significantly improve their app design and help them reach a broader market. Initiatives like these move the country forward in our efforts to advance a growth-led and sustainable technology sector.”
The iOS App Design and Development Accelerator is expected to open in early 2017.
BW Reporters
Mala Bhargava has been writing on technology well before the advent of internet in Indians and before CDs made their way into computers. Mala writes on technology, social media, startups and fitness. A trained psychologist, she claims that her understanding of psychology helps her understand the human side of technology.