5 Things Apple CEO Tim Cook Said About India That Will Make You Really Really Proud

Hail India, the country is one of the brightest spot in Cupertino giant Apple's otherwise lacklustre performance during the second quarter.

The company reported its first-ever decline in iPhone sales and its first revenue drop in 13 years. The company's sales dropped by more than a quarter in China, its most important market after the United States, and it also forecast another disappointing quarter for global revenues. Seems the pains in these countries made Apple take note of the growing importance of India for the company. Here's all that Apple CEO Tim Cook said about the company's plans in India and more.

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iPhone sales in India jump 56%

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Tim Cook revealed during the earnings call that iPhone sales in India grew by 56% on a yearly basis, despite the company's first global sales decline in 13 years.

"On emerging markets, if you take a look at India we grew by 56%. We are placing increasing emphasis in these areas, where it¡¯s clear there will be disproportionate growth versus the more developed areas," Cook said.

India to take centre stage

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CEO Cook indicated that India is going play a key role in growing the sales of iPhones.

Talking about the importance of emerging markets as smartphone market becomes more saturated, Cook said "We're placing increasing emphasis in these areas, where it's clear there will be disproportionate growth versus the more developed areas."

India offers big opportunity for Apple

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Cook said that he believes that India is currently at a point where China was about seven to ten years ago in terms of network and market economics and they have a "really great opportunity" in the country. "We've been working in India now for a couple of years or more, but we've been working with great energy over the last 18 months or so, and I'm encouraged by the results that we're beginning to see there, and believe there's a lot, lot more there," Apple CEO added.

4G to boost iPhone growth in India

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Talking about challenges in the country, Cook said that one of the major constraints the company has faced in India is poor network infrastructure. However, he sees that thing being sorted with LTE rollout in the country. Cook said, "We'll begin to see some really good networks coming on in India. That will unleash the power and capability of the iPhone in a way that an older network, a 2.5G or even some 3G networks, would not do."

Bets big on channels

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Over the last few months, Apple has also increased the pace of its retail distribution expansion in the country. Talking about the importance of distribution channel in India, Cook said, "Unlike the US, as an example, where the carriers in the US sell the vast majority of phones that are sold in the United States, in India the carriers in general sell virtually no phones. And so it's out in retail, and retail is many, many different small shops."