Apple this evening has announced that it is opening a new iOS App Design and Development Accelerator in Bengaluru, India. Apple says that the city is the “home of India’s startup scene,” while there are tens of thousands of developers in India building apps for iOS.

Apple says the Design and Development Accelerator will feature members of Apple’s team working with developers to inspire and instruct them as to how to best go about building applications. The center will focus on all aspects of the app building process, including design, quality, and performance.

In a statement, Apple CEO Tim Cook explained that the new Bengaluru Design and Development Accelerator will give developers in India access to the tools they need to create the best apps possible for consumers around the world:

“India is home to one of the most vibrant and entrepreneurial iOS development communities in the world,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “With the opening of this new facility in Bengaluru, we’re giving developers access to tools which will help them create innovative apps for customers around the world.”

The Bengaluru Design and Development Accelerator is set to open in early 2017. Today’s announcement comes as CEO Tim Cook is in India meeting with Prime Minister Modi. Apple is also working diligently to open retail stores in the country and plans to open three of them. Foxconn is also expected to be establishing an iPhone production plant in the country.

Apple has continually said that India represents a market of huge potential for the iPhone. Speaking on the company’s Q2 2016 earnings call just last month, Apple CEO Tim Cook noted that he views India as currently being where China was 7-10 years ago. Cook pointed out that Apple is working hard to grow its presence in the country, noting that sales during Q2 were up 56 percent year-over-year in India.

Apple Announces New iOS App Design and Development Accelerator in Bengaluru

First-of-its-kind Center to Support Developers Creating Innovative Mobile Apps in India

MUMBAI, India — May 18, 2016 — Apple® today announced a new initiative to support engineering talent and accelerate growth in India’s iOS developer community.

The company will establish a Design and Development Accelerator in Bengaluru, the home of India’s startup scene. Tens of thousands of developers in India make apps for iOS, the world’s most powerful mobile operating system and the foundation for iPhone®, iPad® and iPod touch®. This initiative will provide additional, specialized support for them.

Apple’s team will work to inspire and instruct developers on best practices, help them hone their skills and transform the design, quality and performance of their apps on the iOS platform.

“India is home to one of the most vibrant and entrepreneurial iOS development communities in the world,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “With the opening of this new facility in Bengaluru, we’re giving developers access to tools which will help them create innovative apps for customers around the world.”

Each week, Apple experts will lead briefings and provide one-on-one app reviews for developers. The facility will also provide support and guidance on Swift™, Apple’s powerful and intuitive programming language created to build apps for iOS, Mac®, Apple TV® and Apple Watch®. Swift enables developers to write safer, more reliable code, save time and create richer app experiences. A recent report by developer placement firm Toptal shows jobs requesting Swift rose 600 percent in 2015.

Bengaluru is now home to more technology startups than any other part of India. Over one million people in the city work in the tech sector, and over 40 percent of graduates from local universities specialize in engineering or information technology.

“This is a huge vote of confidence in India’s developer community and a tremendous opportunity to gain world-class design and development expertise,” said Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal. “Apple’s support will help drive growth and accelerate progress among the country’s vast talent pool.”

“We have worked closely with Apple to transform the Snapdeal app and offer our users the best possible experience,” said Snapdeal co-founder and CEO Kunal Bahl. “Apple’s expert guidance on the interface and user experience has helped us build an app that our consumers love. We are thrilled Apple will have a local presence which will amplify our efforts to develop more high-quality apps for our digital commerce ecosystem.”

“Apple’s investment in Bengaluru through its iOS Development Accelerator will have far-reaching effects for the area’s rapidly growing and highly talented developer community,” said NASSCOM President R Chandrashekhar. “The skills and training they gain through this effort will significantly improve their app design and help them reach a broader market. Initiatives like these move the country forward in our efforts to advance a growth-led and sustainable technology sector.”

The iOS App Design and Development Accelerator is expected to open in early 2017.

Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Apple’s four software platforms — iOS, OS X, watchOS and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple’s 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.