Tim Cook Meets With India's PM Narendra Modi, Launches New App

[MacRumors]

Apple CEO Tim Cook continued his week-long visit to India today by meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss manufacturing and retail opportunities, as well as launch a new state mobile app (via The Times of India).

During the meeting at the Prime Minister's official residence, Modi explained his Digital India initiative and asked Apple to support its key objectives of e-education, health, and increasing farmer's incomes. The PM also reportedly raised issues with Cook regarding cyber security and data encryption in India.

Apple CEO Tim Cook meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Image: PIB)​

Cook took the opportunity to express his appreciation for the country's skilled younger generation and emphasized Apple's desire to tap into the talent of India's youth. Cook also commented on the potential for app development that exists in the country and highlighted the importance of the Map Development Centre that Apple is setting up in Hyderabad.

In addition, Cook helped launch an updated version of the Prime Minister's 'Narendra Modi Mobile App', which aims to offer a direct channel of communication with Indian citizens as part of a broader vision for participative governance.

The app contains a new feature called 'My Network', which is described as an online volunteering forum where app users can share views and ideas. Additionally, the app functions as a ministerial news service and logs the Prime Minister's speeches, while users can also keep up with episodes of PM radio program 'Mann Ki Baat' and even write to the Prime Minister.

Modi took to Twitter to thank Cook for helping launch the updated app and urged followers on social media to get involved. Cook responded by thanking the PM and offered his best wishes for the app's success.

Thank you @tim_cook! Friends, welcome & happy volunteering. Your views & efforts are always enriching. pic.twitter.com/aAu4isv6wM - Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 21, 2016

Thanks PM @narendramodi for a great meeting. Already looking forward to next visit to India. Best wishes on the app! https://t.co/ctXiKoCiS0 - Tim Cook (@tim_cook) May 21, 2016

As part of the day, Cook also met Sunil Mittal, chairman of Bharti Airtel, one of India's leading telecommunication companies which was the first to launch 4G in India and is set to offer the service countrywide.

The PM meeting is being reported as a high point for Cook's Indian visit and a strengthening of Apple's relationship with the country. In an interview with an Indian TV channel on Friday, Cook asserted that he was looking at India holistically and Apple was "here for the next thousand years".

Article Link: Tim Cook Meets With India's PM Narendra Modi, Launches New App

 

[joueboy]

My friend in India Suhkdeep Chopra is going to meet him too.

 

[SteveBlobs]

Very strange. Can you imagine if Tim Cook (Apple) designed an app for Clinton or Trump? Seems like a very political decision with not a lot of consideration of the consequences of how the next government might feel about it.

 

[augustrushrox]

Very strange. Can you imagine if Tim Cook (Apple) designed an app for Clinton or Trump? Seems like a very political decision with not a lot of consideration of the consequences of how the next government might feel about it.

Politics are inseparable from economics and business.

 

[prabal.malhan]

Very strange. Can you imagine if Tim Cook (Apple) designed an app for Clinton or Trump? Seems like a very political decision with not a lot of consideration of the consequences of how the next government might feel about it.

Tim Cook just LAUNCHED the updated version of app,app was not designed by him.

 

[grahamperrin]

… Digital India initiative … key objectives of e-education, health, and increasing farmer's incomes. …

Digital India Programme | Department of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India – I don't see those three things expressed as key objectives (http://digitalindia.gov.in/search/node/farm https://twitter.com/search?f=tweets&vertical=default&q=from:narendramodi objectives&src=typd and so on) but I guess that those objectives made for good conversation with Cook.

 

[ThunderSkunk]

Long-term, I'm much more optimistic about Apple growing its presence in India than growing its presence in China.

 

[YegorH]

All this India visit seems to be more of Apple sending message to China by implying: "If you give us too much headache, we will gradually move everything to Inda."

 

[Dr.Chroma]

I think this trip is a good thing. India deserves solid commerce and I hope Apple will meet India's needs.

 

[jayducharme]

 

[Mr Fusion]

Cook took the opportunity to express his appreciation for the country's skilled younger generation, as they'll play a crucial role in outsourcing American jobs either outright to India, or in the form of significant salary reductions for migrant workers on H-1B visas.

There. Fixed it for you.

 

[MrGuder]

Will it matter to the US buyers if their iPhone is made in China or India?

 

[Kynmore]

Will it matter to the US buyers if their iPhone is made in China or India?

It might. Some people, due to the political painters we have in the media and D.C. in this country, think China is an enemy of the US.

 

[emm386]

I think this trip is a good thing. India deserves solid commerce and I hope Apple will meet India's needs.

They do! And they deserve state-of-the-art, innovative hardware coupled with well-designed software, that you should be able to update without thinking about it.

In other words: Dear Tim, please come back home soon and have a word with your software department, as they seem to be having a great party during your absence. You owe it to your customers. If you forgot that, your shareholders will soon remind you.

 

[Mr Fusion]

It might. Some people, due to the political painters we have in the media and D.C. in this country, think China is an enemy of the US.

China isn't the enemy, and neither is India. Corporations are. They pit working class groups against one another in an ongoing effort to destroy quality wages for quality work. You could argue that workers in modern societies have become "lazy" hiding behind unions, but I see it as a generation that watched their parents' terms and conditions get chipped away little by little until there was nothing left but to train their foreign replacement. They might've been hired yesterday but they weren't born yesterday.

The influence corporations have in our political system is destroying our government.

 

[man3ster]

View attachment 632311

lmao bro, good work.

 

[autrefois]

Tim Cook just LAUNCHED the updated version of app,app was not designed by him.

Correct, but still sets a bad precedent. Is Tim also going to help launch a Xi Jinping app? One for Obama or whoever succeeds him?

Limiting ourselves just to this case, though: What do/will people working for Apple in India who don't support Modi think of Cook launching an app with him? Is Cook sure there won't be any repercussions down the road on Apple workers who aren't enthusiastic about it? What will customers think?

Maybe if it were an app just for the office of prime minister, that others could use in the future, it might be okay. But the app is named for the guy. IMO Apple should not be involved with launches for apps for specific politicians.

 

[Col4bin]

Tim Cook schmoozing India and its resources/talent while setting up future in-country Apple development. Making moves for the success of the company moving forward.

 

[radiology]

It's all about outsourcing. Big corporations are Americans worst enemy. They not just happy with avoiding paying taxes. Tim Cook makes me nauseous with all the this PR stuff. Apple completely lost its focus.

 

[Col4bin]

All this India visit seems to be more of Apple sending message to China by implying: "If you give us too much headache, we will gradually move everything to Inda."

With China's rising inflation and labor costs, many companies are shifting manufacturing to India. It's happening across many industries right now.

 

[Mactendo]

Can you imagine if Tim Cook (Apple) designed an app for Clinton or Trump?

Thank gods India doesn't have to choose between two variants of evil.

 

[2010mini]

It might. Some people, due to the political painters we have in the media and D.C. in this country, think China is an enemy of the US.

Ignorance is bliss I guess. But if they knew that China and Mexico represent 2 of the largest 3 countries we export to. And how many hundreds of Billions that represent, they might change their tune.

 

[now i see it]

Cook asserted that he was looking at India holistically and Apple was "here for the next thousand years".

I wonder if the iPhone 500 will be thinner

 

[Futurix]

I wonder how he feels about homosexuality being illegal in India...

 

[Mactendo]

I wonder if the iPhone 500 will be thinner

I wonder if Apple will exist by that time...