To help with its machine learning and artificial intelligence research, Apple is reportedly scouting for possible new employees straight out of an engineering college in India.
It’s a move which not only helps further Apple’s A.I. ambitions, but also shows its continued focus on India, a market which Apple is desperate to expand into.
“We are elated that Apple has decided to come for our campus placements this year,” said the head of placements at the International Institute of Information Technology, which (unsurprisingly) has seen a rise in interest on its courses now that the likes of Apple are taking note. “We are not sure of the kind of profiles that the company will be offering. However, it will provide an opportunity to the graduating students to showcase their skills before representatives of the firm.”
Alongside Apple, other tech giants which have registered their interest with IIITH are Microsoft and Google. The new positions are likely to be at Apple’s offices in India, as opposed to in Cupertino.
It’s a smart move on Apple’s part, and another chapter in its recent focus on growing its presence in India. Earlier this year, Apple opened a new App Accelerator in Bengaluru, India, intended to teach local devs to develop for iOS. Apple has also spent $25 million on a new office complex in India, as well as new local offices dedicated to Apple Maps, and even started manufacturing iPhones in the country.
According to Tim Cook, Apple has so far created 740,000 jobs in India through its “app economy,” and says Indian developers have now created close to 100,000 apps for the App Store.
The reason for all of this focus? To help Apple gain a stronger foothold in a country with a population of more than 1.311 billion and a fast-growing smartphone market, of which Apple currently holds just 3 percent of it. If Apple is shown to be doing enough locally, it may be granted various manufacturing incentives, as well as being able to finally open the major Indian flagship retail store it has been planning for years.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt that India’s a massive developing hub for high tech, and that Apple’s currently in the midst of a big push to broaden its artificial intelligence capabilities…
Source: Times of India
