Apple CEO Tim Cook to Visit India, PM Modi This Week: Reports

Advertisement
By Reuters | Updated: 17 May 2016 18:14 IST
Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook will visit India this week and meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the second leg of his Asian tour, two sources familiar with the matter said, as the company seeks to revive sluggish iPhone sales.

Cook's visit, which follows a trip to China, comes at a crucial time as Apple looks for new growth markets after posting its first ever decline in iPhone sales, and as India has denied it permission to sell refurbished phones - a move seen as key to appealing to price-sensitive local consumers.

The visit is Cook's first to India as the head of the US technology company, one of the sources said.

It was not immediately clear whether he would discuss importing refurbished iPhones with Indian government officials.

Advertisement

Apart from meeting Modi, Cook will also hold meetings with employees and partners, the source said, adding he would fly to India on Tuesday.

Advertisement

The sources declined to be named as the plan is not public yet. Apple declined to provide details of Cook's schedule in India.

Cook is visiting China after announcing a $1 billion investment in Chinese ride-hailing app Didi Chuxing.

His visit there also comes at a time when Apple is facing some setbacks in its most important overseas market.

Advertisement

From weakening smartphone sales to the loss of an iPhone trademark dispute and the suspension of some of its online entertainment services, Apple has faced a flurry of challenges in China in recent weeks.

Cook planned to meet high-level Chinese government officials, a source familiar with the matter said this month.

Advertisement

In India, Apple is looking to set up its first retail outlet, as it only has about a 2 percent market share. But its sales there surged 56 percent in the first three months of this year, driven mainly by cheaper older-generation devices such as the iPhone 5s.

More than 100 million smartphones were sold in India last year and the market is expected to grow by 25 percent this year, making India one of the fastest growing smartphone markets in the world.

Since his election in 2014, Modi has courted US tech companies as part of his strategy to bring jobs to India.

He met Cook last year during a high-profile visit to Silicon Valley, which included a 'town hall' at Facebook headquarters with Mark Zuckerberg and a round table meeting with other CEOs including Google's Sundar Pichai and Microsoft's Satya Nadella.

© Thomson Reuters 2016

 

Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.

Further reading: Apple, Mobiles, Tim Cook, iPhone
Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Here's How Much the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold May Cost in India
  2. Motorola Edge 70 India Launch Date Leaked; Might Arrive With Bigger Battery
  3. Poco C85 5G With a 6,000mAh Battery Will Launch in India on This Date
  1. Pariah OTT Release: Vikram Chatterjee’s Heart-Wrenching Stray Dog Thriller Set for OTT Debut
  2. Dies Irae OTT Release: When, Where to Watch Pranav Mohanlal's Malayalam Horror Thriller Online
  3. A Nearby Planet May Have Formed the Moon Following a Collision With Early Earth: Study
  4. Netflix’s Gritty Frontier Drama The Abandons to Begin Streaming Soon: All You Need to Know
  5. Superman OTT Release Date Announced: Everything You Need to Know About Clark Kent's Latest Adventure
  6. International Space Station Makes History As Eight Visiting Spacecraft Simultaneously Dock
  7. Dulquer Salmaan’s Kaantha Set for OTT Debut: When and Where to Watch 1950's Period Drama Online?
  8. Motorola Edge 70 India Launch Date Leaked; Indian Variant Said to Feature Bigger Battery, Slim Design
  9. SpaceX Adds 29 New Starlink Satellites in Successful Falcon 9 Launch
  10. UK to Recognise Crypto as Property After Lawmakers Approve Landmark Bill
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.