India Today conducted an exclusive interview with Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook. He is excited about the company’s plans in India which include online stores, offline stores, and local manufacturing units. In the interview in Mumbai, Cook said, “India is at a tipping point and it feels great to be here. You can feel the vibrancy, dynamism. The feeling that anything here is possible.”
First offline store
Cook also inaugurated the first offline Apple store in India. He welcomed a slew of customers patiently waiting since early morning. The store opened in Mumbai on 18th April 2023.
Cook did not forget to please the Apple fans in India. He mentioned, “There is a huge Apple community in India.” He further added, “We brought the online store a few years ago, a retail store, and expanded the retail presence on Thursday in Delhi. We have manufacturing here. We have an extraordinary developer community in India.” He is expecting the same warm welcome from Apple fans in Delhi as his experience in Mumbai.
Without giving any specific detail on Apple’s plans for India, Cook said, “India has its own journey and culture. We really need to understand the local culture to do well in a country like India. So we are trying to bring our best in India.”
Suggested read: Hiring for Apple Stores on, India set to see Retail Store Spree
Apple’s plans and investments
Apple is keen on exploring various ways to expand its presence in India in the next few years. The company has plans to manufacture iPhones and assemble Pro models along with the base models. Even AirPods are expected to be manufactured in India.
As per reports, Foxconn is planning to invest $ 700 million in a new plant to increase the manufacturing of iPhones in India. Cook’s visit, Apple’s focus, and Foxconn’s investment plan point to the company’s interest to tap into the growing consumer base in India and to establish its presence further.
Apple’s standpoint about AI
Cook emphasized that Apple is leading the world of AI as it is heavily used in their devices. For instance, fall detection and ECG use AI. Apple shall continue to be ahead in this sector as per Cook despite the growing competition from Google, Microsoft, and Elon Musk. Google is launching its AI-powered chatbot, Bard, Microsoft is progressing towards Bing AI and Musk is working on TruthGPT.
