Ready to work with Apple, says Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad

NEW DELHI: Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the government complements Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook's statements, in which he has committed to a long term presence in India.

US-based iPhone maker Apple Inc’s chief executive Tim Cook has said that he was looking at India holistically and the company he represented would be here for the ?next thousand years.

"I complement Apple chief executive Mr Cook for a public commitment of one thousand years in India. We are ready to work together," Prasad said on the sidelines of an industry event on Friday. Prasad said that government is a facilitator and India is at a tipping point of digital revolution.

Also Read: ET's special coverage on Apple CEO's India visit

"India is much more strategic. We are thinking about a really long innings in the country. We are here for next thousand years. We are not making the most but the best," Cook said in a TV interview.

Apple's top executive also added that the company has a bright future for retail in India and the company has applied to sell pre-owned phones with new warranty.

Citing industry data, Prasad said that 500 million smartphone subscriptions are expected in next 2 to 3 years in India, from the present 270 million, and added that a mobile device is becoming a critical tool for public services.

"We are also coming up with guidelines for mobile virtual network operators (MVNO) soon,” Prasad said, adding that many local and international players are keen to partner Indian companies for MVNO rollouts.

Tim Cook is meeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, which is expected to give policy-direction to the US-based smartphone giant.