Apple CEO Tim Cook met during the weekend with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the CEO explaining his plans for the Indian market and the prime minister seeking Apple's support for his "Digital India" initiative focusing on e-education, health and increasing farmers' incomes, Bloomberg reported. Cook’s trip to India follows on the heels of a visit to China, which resulted in a USD 1 billion investment in Chinese car service Didi. Modi and Cook also discussed cybersecurity and data encryption at their meeting in New Delhi, a government statement said. Modi suggested that Cook help the global community cope with the challenges of cybercrime.
Cook spoke of the potential for the manufacturing and retailing of Apple products in India, and the possibilities for app development in the country, the statement said. The CEO told Modi that he appreciated the breadth of young talent in India, and that the country's youth have significant skills that Apple would like to tap, according to the statement. He elaborated on the Map Development Centre that Apple is setting up in the southern city of Hyderabad and said he appreciated Modi's initiatives for renewable energy. Cook said Apple runs on 93 percent renewable energy, and spoke of plans to move Apple's entire supply chain to renewable energy.
Apple has a 2 percent share of the smartphone market in India. Cook spoke about his visits to the Indian cities of Mumbai, Hyderabad and Kanpur and his meetings with business leaders, young people and Bollywood actors. In particular, he mentioned his visit to the Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai, and the cricket match he saw in the northern city of Kanpur, the statement said.
Digital India, a flagship program of Modi's government, attempts to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy through the use of information technology.
