Hyderabad: Apple Inc., maker of iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches and Mac computers on Thursday opened its first development centre in India in Hyderabad, which will work on Apple Maps, the company’s digital maps and navigation service.
Apple chief executive Tim Cook, who is visiting India for the first time, opened the facility in Hyderabad, which will employ 4,000 people. The company did not specify how much it would invest in the facility.
“Apple is focused on making the best products and services in the world and we are thrilled to open this new office in Hyderabad which will focus on Maps development,” said Cook said in the statement on the website of Apple, the world’s biggest company by market value.
The Maps product of Apple, one of the world’s top technology companies, got off to a rocky start when its rollout in 2012 mutated landscapes and led people to incorrect addresses, leading to firing of then Maps product head Richard Williamson and then iOS head Scott Forstall. The Maps fiasco also prompted CEO Cook to issue an apology and ask customers to use digital cartography products of rivals such as Google, Microsoft and Nokia (before it was bought by Microsoft). Google Maps is the world leader in digital maps category.
Apple has since worked on its Maps application, updating and adding features such as 3D views and tools to help customers find convenient places to shop, eat and explore nearby areas. It also added Transit feature with iOS9 to help people in 300 cities navigate using a combination of trains, subways, buses and walking.
Without revealing details, Cook said the company would “introduce” more universities and partners around Hyderabad to Apple’s platforms as the company scales its operations.
Apple on Wednesday said it will open an app design and development accelerator in Bengaluru, India’s startup hub to help developers build apps for its platforms. Across India, Apple supports over 640,000 iOS app developer jobs and other positions related to the iOS ecosystem.
