India is a critical market for Apple’s growth. CEO Tim Cook capped off a visit there this week — full of meetings with government officials and token tourism — by giving a 20-minute interview with Indian station NDTV addressing several key Apple initiatives.
Apple CEO Tim Cook talks about his plan to open Apple stores and sell used iPhones in India
Watch his TV interview in Android country.
In the interview, Cook touted Apple’s stated plans in India, including its new office for building Apple Maps and a startup accelerator.
Cook also discussed Apple’s ideal plans for India, like selling pre-owned iPhones and improving cellular coverage in order to cement more Indians into Apple devices. The market tilts heavily toward cheaper Android phones.
A big hurdle for Apple — regulatory approval — also came up. Local manufacturers have moved to block Apple’s used-iPhone plan. Cook confirmed that Apple plans to open retail stores there once it gets the government’s nod.
“We have not been been given the green light,” he said in the interview.
Apple Pay, the company’s mobile payment service, doesn’t work in India, but would soon, Cook claimed. And he hinted that Apple has lobbied (or maybe cut deals) to speed up the rollout of 4G networks across India, a step needed to run several Apple services in the country.
“Many people today that can’t do a simple thing, like watching a video on their phone; they’re going to be able to do that by [pause] in the next several months,” Cook said.
Here is the full interview:
This article originally appeared on Recode.net.
