Apple CEO Tim Cook, traveling in India this week, started his trip with a visit to a
famous temple in Mumbai on Wednesday before meeting with prominent businessmen and the heads of the major carriers in India at the Taj Mahal Hotel. According to local media reports, Cook will also have dinner with Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan and meet with local government officials, such as Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis.
Also on Cook's agenda are meetings in Hyderabad, Bangalore, and Delhi during the five-day trip, including a meeting with the country's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.
Accompanying Cook on the trip is the newly-promoted head of Apple India, Sanjay Kaul. Cook has also met with Anant Ambani, the son of Reliance Industries chain Mukesh Ambani. CEOs and chairmen of Vodafone India, Tata Group, Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio Infocomm, and TCS met with Cook as well, with the Apple CEO hoping to forge "strategic partnerships" on the even of the country rolling out expanded LTE coverage, a factor Cook has told investors should lead to significant iPhone sales growth in the country.
"The thing that (has) held not only us back, perhaps but some others as well, is that the LTE rollout in India just really began this year, and so we'll begin to see some really good networks coming on in India," Cook said. "That will unleash the power and capability of the iPhone in a way that an older network, a 2.5G, or even some 3G networks, would not do." Apple currently has around a three percent market share in India (but 11 percent of revenues), but Apple sees the region as a growth area, and is investing in the country through both long-awaited retail stores and research and development centers.
In addition to the announcement of an iOS App Design and Development Accelerator center in Bengaluru, near Bangalore, and will formally announce a $25 million R&D center in Hyderabad, which will reportedly focus on Apple Maps development, and employ over 150 people. Cook is also expected to announce a timetable for the first Apple retail stores in the country, which have been granted a special exception in order for Apple to retain control of the operation. The stores are unlikely to open this year, but rumors suggest as many as three will be planned to open initially. While granting the permit for Apple-controlled stores, India recently refused permission for Apple to sell cheaper refurbished iPhones in the region, fearing the move would hurt local smartphone makers.
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