Apple opens App Accelerator in India to foster iOS app development

Apple is taking further steps to foster the developer ecosystem in the world’s fastest growing smartphone market.

The Cupertino-based company today officially opened a new App Accelerator in Bangalore, India. The announcement comes less than a year after the company announced plans to open iOS App Design and Development Accelerator also in India’s Silicon Valley.

Through the new App Accelerator (sign up here, if you're a developer), the company hopes to offer specialised support to developers as well as tools to help them push the boundaries.

At the centre, a group of experts will lead briefings and provide one-on-one app reviews for developers. The company is calling it "the first-of-its-kind facility" for the nation which already has tens of thousands of developers making apps for iOS.

“We are impressed by the great entrepreneurial spirit in India, and are excited to provide a platform for these developers to share their innovations with customers around the world," said Phil Schiller, senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing in a press statement.

Schiller is on his maiden trip to India for the opening of the App Accelerator. It's not clear if he has any additional business in the country.

“In just the first few weeks, we’ve already seen some incredible developers here at the App Accelerator Bengaluru, including Practo and Reliance Games, create innovative apps that can meet the needs of customers in India and around the world,” he added.

Over the past two years, Apple has grown more focused on India. In addition to setting up development centres, the company is also about to begin manufacturing locally in the nation, a move that would allow it to cut the prices of the iPhones for the Indian market.

With Apple's push to turn India into its next major market, it will pay in the long run to have quality apps that solve local problems on the App Store. The company's global rivals Facebook, Microsoft, and Google have also made efforts to build developer communities in India.