Apple announces new initiatives in India

Last week during his India visit, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced a new initiative to support engineering talent and accelerate growth in India’s iOS developer community by setting up a Design and Development Accelerator in Bengaluru, expected to open early next year.

Apple’s team will work to inspire and instruct India’s iOS 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,” Cook says, adding, “With the opening of this new facility in Bengaluru, we’re giving developers access to tools that will help them create innovative apps for customers around the world.”

“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,” believes National Association of Software and Services Companies 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.”

In addition, Apple also announced the opening of a new office in Hyderabad that will focus on development of Maps for Apple products, including iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. This investment will accelerate Maps development and create up to 4,000 jobs.

Apple has been continually updating and adding new features to Maps, including 3D views, the Flyover® feature and tools to help customers find convenient places to shop, eat and explore nearby areas. With iOS 9 Apple added Transit, offering a combination of trains, subways, buses and walking, which is already available for more than 300 cities around the world.

“Apple is focused on making the best products and services in the world and we are thrilled to open this new office in Hyderabad which will focus on Maps development,” states Cook. “The talent here in the local area is incredible and we are looking forward to expanding our relationships and introducing more universities and partners to our platforms as we scale our operations.”

The new facility, located on the Waverock campus, will provide a world-class, LEED-certified home for the expanding the Maps team.

“We are honoured Apple chose Hyderabad as a home for its Maps development office,” adds Telangana chief minister Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao. “This will create thousands of jobs here and is a testament to our proactive approach, quality infrastructure and the excellent talent base we have in the region.”

“Apple is one of the most innovative companies in the world and we are very proud they chose us to partner with for this important project,” said Anup Jindal, RMSI’s CEO. “We are experts in geospatial data and we will be hiring thousands of people from the local area to support this effort.”