As expected, Apple on Tuesday announced plans for a new iOS App Design and Development Accelerator in Bengaluru, India. Apple says the accelerator is just one piece of an effort to support India’s engineering talent, and to boost growth in the iOS developer community.
“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.”
Each week, Apple experts will lead briefings and provide one-on-one app reviews for developers. The facility will also offer support for developers using Swift, the Apple programming language used to develop apps for their iOS devices, Macs, Apple TV, and Apple Watch.
Bengaluru is a hotbed of technology, and is home to more startups than any other part of India. Over one million people work in the tech sector there, and over 40% of graduates from local universities specialize 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.”
The news comes as Apple CEO Tim Cook is making his first official visit to India, where he is scheduled to meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The iOS App Design and Development Accelerator is expected to open in early 2017.
