Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is expanding its wings in India, this time on the software front. CEO Tim Cook on his maiden tour in the country has confirmed plans to open an app design and development center in the city of Bengaluru.
Bengaluru iOS App Developer Center
Scheduled for opening early next year the center will equip developers in the country with all the resources and tools needed to develop apps for the iOS platform.
“With the opening of this new facility in Bengaluru, we are giving developers access to tools which will help them create innovative apps for customers around the world,” said Mr. Cook.
Apple plans to provide weekly briefings at the new facility while also providing support and guidance on using Swift, which is the company’s programming language. Developers will also have a chance of seeing the apps reviewed on a one-to-one basis.
Apple has not yet revealed how much it intends to spend on the facility. However, industry watchers believe the facility could cost the company between $5 and $10 million. GoodWork Labs CEO and Co-founder, Vishwas Mudagal has already welcomed the investment saying it was long overdue.
Mudagal expects the new facility to help developers come up with the right kind of technologies all in the effort of improving user experience and design.
Apple’s India Push
The latest investment should have a far-reaching effect on Bengaluru, which is India’s hotbed for startups. The city boasts a rapidly growing developer’s community most of whom stand to benefit a great deal from the opening of the facility. India is slowly becoming an important marketplace for iOS products as Apple grapples with slow growth, in other markets.
Apple is now looking at India as a future driver of iPhone sales. The company is under immense pressure to pursue new markets as sales in the US and China start to slow. The tech giant remains bullish on India’s ability to offset weakness in other markets as smartphone sales have increased by 5.2% in the recent quarter.