Apple CEO Tim Cook meets PM Modi, says committed to growing, investing more in India
New Delhi, Apr 19: Apple chief executive Tim Cook on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the iPhone manufacturer is looking to invest more in the world's second-largest smartphone market.
According to government sources, iPhone maker Apple is likely to double the employment base at its contract manufacturers in India to around 2 lakh soon.
"An absolute delight to meet you, @tim_cook! Glad to exchange views on diverse topics and highlight the tech-powered transformations taking place in India," Prime Minister tweeted on meeting Apple CEO.
Cook, on his first trip to India in seven years, opened Apple's first official retail store in the country in Mumbai on Tuesday and will launch another in Delhi on Thursday.
"Thank you Prime Minister @narendramodi for the warm welcome. We share your vision of the positive impact technology can make on India's future from education and developers to manufacturing and the environment, we're committed to growing and investing across the country," Cook tweeted with a picture of him shaking hands with Modi.
Cook had last visited India in 2016 when the tech giant was just beginning to scale up operations in the country.
Looking to replicate what China did to Apple's business in the last 15 years, the tech giant is eyeing India's massive market with an expanding middle class to power sales growth, and potentially make it a home base for the production of millions of Apple devices.
Cook during his visit met Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
"Met with @tim_cook , CEO, Apple. Discussed deepening Apple's engagement in India across manufacturing, electronics exports, app economy, skilling, sustainability and job creation especially for women. Jointly charting a long-term and strong relationship," Vaishnaw tweeted.
As per the sources, Cook has sought government support to widen its components supplier base in India.
"It was a delight to meet @tim_cook CEO, @Apple and his team to engage on Apple's strategic and long-term partnership with and in India's digital journey. We discussed deepening and broadening manufacturing, exports, skilling of youth, expanding app n innovation economy and job creation," Chandrasekhar tweeted.
The minister has said Cook's visit to India is not just limited to opening of stores but to explore the expansion of the Apple-India partnership.
Cook also discussed manufacturing facilities and App Design and Development Accelerator in Bengaluru with both ministers.
"It is a significant opportunity for Indian startups and innovation and manufacturing sectors. I am hopeful that this visit will give him the confidence to make India a strong partner for Apple group's global ambitions and global value chains," Chandrasekhar said.
Cook has asked for continued government support through long-term stable policies to foster investments in the country, according to government sources.
"Apple has created 1 lakh employment in India. Based on the discussions, we feel that they will double the employment base very soon," a government source said.
Apple's contract manufacturers Foxconn, Pegatron, Wistron and others hire dedicated workforce as per the requirement of the company.
The hiring plan is an indication of the company's expansion of its manufacturing base in the country.
"He has also asked support to skill Indian manpower to suit the company's requirement," one of the sources said.
The government has offered Apple to define the skill set, and it will support them in facilitating it.
The company has set up a two-story Apple store in Mumbai covering a total area of around 20,000 square feet. According to sources, Apple will pay Rs 40 lakh rent per month and share revenue from the total sales of the store.
The Apple Saket Store in Delhi is half the size of the Mumbai store where the company will pay a portion of total sales from the store as rent or Rs 40 lakh per month whichever is higher, according to sources.
The barricade for Apple Saket store features a unique design that takes inspiration from Delhi's many gates.
The company has more than 70 highly skilled retail team members at Apple Saket Store who come from a combined 18 states in India and collectively speak more than 15 languages.
The store will be open for all customers without any need for pre-registration.
An absolute delight to meet you, @tim_cook! Glad to exchange views on diverse topics and highlight the tech-powered transformations taking place in India. https://t.co/hetLIjEQEU
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 19, 2023
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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
