Cook in India: Apple opens map development facility in Hyderabad

Apple, whose chief executive Tim Cook is on a four-day trip to the country, on Thursday said that it will open a new office in Hyderabad where the technology major will focus on map development for Apple products like iPhones, iPads, Apple Watch and Mac computers.

"Apple is focused on making the best products and services in the world and we are thrilled to open this new office in Hyderabad which will focus on Maps development," Cook said.

"The talent here in the local area is incredible and we are looking forward to expanding our relationships and introducing more universities and partners to our platforms as we scale our operations," he added.

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Cook's visit to India, which is aimed to boost presence of Apple and sale of its products in the country, has also seen announcement of opening of a new app development facility in Bengaluru. The chief executive has also met several telecom industry leaders to try and forge partnerships. He is also expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.

The new facility, located on the Waverock campus, will provide a world-class, LEED-certified home for the expanding Maps team.

"We are honored Apple chose Hyderabad as a home for its Maps development office," Telangana chief minister Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao, said. "This will create thousands of jobs here and is a testament to our proactive approach, quality infrastructure and the excellent talent base we have in the region," he added.

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While announcing the new facility, the Cupertino-based technology giant said that it has been continually updating and adding new features to Maps, including 3D views, the Flyover feature and tools to help customers find convenient places to shop, eat and explore nearby areas. Apple had added Transit to iOS 9 while releasing the new operating system. Transit offers a combination of trains, subways, buses and walking, which is already available for more than 300 cities around the world.

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Apple also said that it has partnered with geospatial company RMSI for developing its maps in the country. "Apple is one of the most innovative companies in the world and we are very proud they chose us to partner with for this important project," said Anup Jindal, RMSI's CEO. "We are experts in geospatial data and we will be hiring thousands of people from the local area to support this effort."