Apple surpasses 1 million developer jobs in India, ‘excited to build on our long history,’ says Tim Cook

Apple now supports more than 1 million developer jobs in India, and App Store payments in India have more than tripled since 2018, the company said as it prepares for a major expansion into the South Asian market. The iPhone maker will open its first two retail stores in India this week.

Apple CEO Tim Cook is visiting India this week to launch the stores and meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as many business leaders to discuss the company’s growing commitment to India.

“At Apple, our mission is to enrich lives and empower people around the world,” Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive, said in a statement. “India has such a beautiful culture and incredible energy, and we are excited to build on our long history of supporting our customers, investing in local communities and working together to build a better future with innovations that serve humanity.”

Despite being the second largest internet marketplace in the world, most of the smartphones sold in India are priced below $250. While India accounts for a small portion of Apple’s total revenue, the iPhone maker has expressed optimism about the nation’s growth potential.

Apple said the new retail stores “mark a great expansion” for the company.

In preparation for store openings, Apple has been actively recruiting employees in recent months, based on increasing job openings. The company, which launched its Indian online store in 2020, had initially planned to open its first retail store in 2021, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced a delay.

Apple is also working to make India a key global hardware manufacturing hub, thanks in part to the incentives New Delhi offers manufacturers to expand their presence in the country.

The company’s contract manufacturing partners Foxconn and Wistron have increased local assembly of iPhones and other Apple devices in recent quarters. According to a report by JP Morgan analysts last year, Apple is expected to expand its manufacturing capacity in India to produce 25% of all iPhones by 2025.

“Apple began manufacturing iPhones in India in 2017, and since then the company has worked with suppliers to assemble iPhone models and produce an increasing number of components. Apple’s work with Indian suppliers of all sizes supports hundreds of thousands of jobs across the country,” Apple said in a statement Monday.