Apple announces accelerator centre, retail stores in India

Apple on Wednesday announced it would establish a Design and Development Accelerator in Bengaluru for iOS apps, with the aims to help “support engineering talent” and “accelerate growth” in India’s developer community. The company said the development centre is planned to open in early 2017.
Calling Bengaluru the “home of India’s startup scene,” the company in a press statement said the opening of the development centre will help provide additional, specialized support for the “tens of thousands of developers in India” that make apps for iOS.
Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke about the initiative in the statement, saying, “India is home to one of the most vibrant and entrepreneurial iOS development communities in the world. 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.”
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The Bengaluru Design and Development Accelerator is set to open in early 2017. Today’s announcement comes as CEO Tim Cook is in India meeting with Prime Minister Modi.
Apple is also working diligently to open retail stores in the country and plans to open three of them. Foxconn is also expected to be establishing an iPhone production plant in the country.
Bengaluru is considered the main hub of the country’s startup scene with over one million people working in the local tech sector.
The center will provide support to local app developers and help improve their iOS software, providing one-on-one app reviews.
Apple will reportedly also unveil a development center for its mapping services in Hyderabad. Earlier this year the company announced that it had invested $25 million in a Hyderabad facility for 4,500 employees.
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