Apple CEO to unveil new facility, detail initiatives in India visit

In a bid to aid Indian start-ups and developers working on Apple's iOS platform, Apple CEO Tim Cook will set up a software laboratory in Hyderabad—which is set to open today, May 19 (Thursday).

Cook's arrival last May 17 was met with much anticipation as he is expected to announce several more initiatives and detail the company's plans during his trip, including the opening of an app design and development accelerator that's set to open in Bengaluru in early 2017.

In a statement, Apple said that the accelerator would help Indian developers advance app designs for Apple's iPhone and iPads.

Although India is in the world's third-largest smartphone market, Apple's iPhone only has a 2% market share, but sales grew 56% in the first three months of 2016.

"Cook's visit shows how important India has become for Apple and will likely set the stage for the expansion of Apple ecosystem in India," said Vishal Tripathi, research director at Gartner.

The Indian government is expecting PM Modi to reinforce Cook to build production facilities in India to employ the millions of Indians joining the workforce every year.

Apple is set to hold separate talks to open its first official retail store in the country.

The Apple CEO is meeting industry partners during his visit, including the founder of India's biggest mobile operator Bharti Airtel—billionaire Sunil Mittal, sources from Airtel said.