Apple’s app, design accelerator in Bengaluru to speed India growth

As part of Apple's new thrust on expanding operations in India, the iconic phone maker is setting up a Design and Development Accelerator in Bengaluru. The new initiative is aimed at supporting engineering talent and accelerate growth in India’s iOS developer community.

The announcement comes even as Apple CEO Tim Cook is on an official visit to India. “India is home to one of the most vibrant and entrepreneurial iOS development communities in the world,” Cook said. “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.”

Each week, Apple experts will lead briefings and provide one-on-one app reviews for developers. The facility will also provide support and guidance on Swift™, Apple’s programming language created to build apps for iOS, Mac, Apple TV and Apple Watch.

Bengaluru is now home to more technology start-ups than any other part of India. Over one million people in the city work in the tech sector, and over 40 per cent of graduates from local universities specialise in engineering or information technology.

“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.”

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.

The move is part of Apple's efforts to tap into the growing smartphone user base in the country. Nearly 10 years after Apple first launched the iPhone, India is beginning to figure as a key market for the iconic brand.

A stronger distribution network in tier-2 and -3 cities, cheaper financing schemes, and a focus on the enterprise segment have ensured that India has become one of the few markets where the American brand is seeing high growth.

Recently, while announcing the company’s quarterly results, Cook acknowledged the growth in India. “India for us grew 56 per cent, and yes we are placing emphasis in these areas (emerging markets) where it’s clear there will be disproportionate growth versus the more developed areas,” Cook had said.

The India growth story comes at a time when Apple is losing steam in markets such as China, where it has always been strong. “I view India as where China was maybe seven to ten years ago…I think there’s a really great opportunity there,” Cook said.

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