Apple CEO Tim Cook Talks About India in Q2 Earnings Name, Says It’s an ‘Incredibly Exciting Market’

Apple CEO Tim Cook made a number of call-outs to India through the firm’s quarterly incomes calls, particularly highlighting the nation as an thrilling market and a chance for it to increase additional. The Cupertino-based tech big has been closely investing in India in recent times. Cook additionally revealed that the corporate made a quarterly income document within the nation in March, posting robust double-digit development numbers. Separately, he additionally hinted at Apple’s growth plans to additional solidify its place within the Indian market.

Tim Cook’s feedback got here in a shareholder’s name to debate the corporate’s efficiency within the second fiscal quarter of the monetary yr (within the US, the fiscal yr begins on October 1 and ends on September 30). While the general income of Apple has reportedly taken a dip of 4 p.c YoY, it has continued to put up robust numbers in India and a number of other different regional markets. Speaking concerning the growth, Cook mentioned, “We were very, very pleased about it”.

“As you know, as I’ve said before, I see it [India] as an incredibly exciting market and it’s a major focus for us. In terms of the operational side or supply chain side, we are producing there, from a pragmatic point of view, you need to produce there to be competitive,” he added.

Notably, Apple began contract manufacturing in India in 2017, however these have been solely entry-level and legacy gadgets. In 2021-22, the tech big started manufacturing of iPhone 14 models in India through Foxconn’s Tamil Nadu plant. According to a report by Bloomberg, India’s manufacturing output grew massively with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus models, and it assembled about 14 p.c of the corporate’s whole manufactured models, or about one in each seven iPhone models.

Addressing this, the Apple CEO mentioned, “We have both operational things going on [in India] and we have go-to-market, and other initiatives going on. We just opened a couple of stores last year, and we see enormous opportunity there.” Cook additionally confirmed that the corporate is engaged on constructing a developer ecosystem within the nation and claims it’s already rising quickly. “We’re working on all of the entire ecosystem from developer to the market to operations, the whole thing. And I just — I could not be more excited and enthusiastic about it.”

India was additionally talked about by the CEO throughout his announcement about Apple’s sustainability method. He mentioned the corporate was working with its companions within the nation to replenish one hundred pc of the water used within the manufacturing course of, saving billions of gallons of water over the subsequent 20 years.