Cook, who had inaugurated the company’s first self-owned store in Mumbai on Tuesday, will be opening a second store in Delhi on Thursday, following which he is likely to fly out of the country.
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Apple CEO Tim Cook meets PM Modi, backs India for success
After his meeting with the PM, Cook said the company’s engagements in India were also aligned with the larger societal goals of the Indian government. “Thank you Prime Minister @narendramodi for the warm welcome. We share your vision of the positive impact technology can make on India’s future — from education and developers to manufacturing and the environment, we’re committed to growing and investing across the country,” he said in a tweet, alongside pictures of their meeting.
The PM responded: “An absolute delight to meet you, @tim_cook! Glad to exchange views on diverse topics and highlight the tech-powered transformations taking place in India.”
After the meeting with the PM, Cook went on to meet communications and IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw where he spoke about the company’s expansion plans, its business operations so far, and the willingness to create more manufacturing jobs through its vendors.
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Highlights from Apple’s first India store you cannot afford to miss, including a surprise for Tim Cook
In a tweet on the matter, Vaishnaw said, “Met with @tim_cook, CEO, Apple. Discussed deepening Apple’s engagement in India across manufacturing, electronics exports, app economy, skilling, sustainability and job creation especially for women. Jointly charting a long-term and strong relationship.”
Sources said the Apple CEO highlighted that while the company generated around 1 lakh jobs through its manufacturing partners in India over the past 24 months, it expects to create a similar number of jobs (double the headcount) over a shorter period this time around.
And while acknowledging the government’s role in supporting electronics manufacturing in the country, including through the production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes, Cook requested that policy stability be maintained, while the pro-active measures towards component eco-system be continued.
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Customer at BKC Apple store surprises Tim Cook with his Mac Classic machine
The government is also understood to have assured the Apple boss of support in skilling under the Gati Shakti University model as per the company’s requirements.
Minister if state for IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that apart from local manufacturing, Cook also discussed the need to further grow exports from India, over the estimated $5.5 billion that it is understood to have shipped in 2022-23.
“It was a delight to meet @tim_cook CEO, @Apple and his team to engage on Apple’s strategic and long-term partnership with and in India’s digital journey. We discussed deepening and broadening manufacturing, exports, skilling of youth, expanding app n innovation economy and job creation,” Chandrasekhar tweeted.
Apart from the political meetings, Cook also had a relatively relaxed time in the capital as he went around the crafts museum and the famous Lodhi Art district. “Delhi’s Lodhi Art District is a remarkable public space. Congratulations to the St+art India Foundation and so many amazing artists for capturing Indian life so powerfully. And thank you to Dattaraj Naik for showing me how you design your murals on iPad,” the 62-year-old CEO tweeted.
He also visited the National Crafts Museum and Hastkala Academy. “I could’ve spent the whole day at the National Crafts Museum & Hastkala Academy. From ancient and vibrant textiles to impossibly intricate wood carvings, it displayed India’s deep — and deeply beautiful — culture of craft,” he tweeted with pictures of the museum.
