India to gets its very own Apple app development accelerator

Apple has announced that it will be opening a dedicated App Design and Development Accelerator in India to cater specifically to the Indian community of iOS developers.

In a press release issued today, the Tim Cooks-led company announced this initiative in order to support engineering talent and accelerate growth in India’s iOS developer community. The iOS App Design and Development Accelerator will be established in Bengaluru, also known as the Silicon Valley of India. Over one million people in the city work in the tech sector alone.

“India is home to one of the most vibrant and entrepreneurial iOS development communities in the world,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “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.”

The facility will be instrumental in providing support and guidance on Swift, Apple’s very own programming language for building apps for Apple devices.

The move has been lauded by tech gurus all around India, including many Indian startup CEOs like Kunal Bahl, the man behind Snapdeal; and Deepinder Goyal, Zomato’s CEO. They believe that the establishment of this facility will help drive growth and accelerate progress among the country’s iOS developers.

“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.

With a population of over 1.25 Billion and also the world’s fastest-growing smartphone market, there is a huge potential for tech-giants to exploit in India. And in recent years, Apple has been doubling down in its efforts to exploit this potential. It even announced to establish a $25 million development center in the country earlier this year.