Apple environment chief visits rural Indian school where donated iPads are part of curriculum

Apple VP Lisa Jackson visits The Barefoot College in Rajasthan, India. | Source: Lisa Jackson via Twitter

As part of Apple's tour of India, the company's environment and government affairs chief Lisa Jackson visited a school in Rajasthan this week to meet with so-called "solar mamas," or women trained in the manufacture and assembly of solar lamps build solar powered lanterns.

On Wednesday, Jackson traveled to Tilonia in the Ajmer district of Rajasthan, a small village best known as the home to The Barefoot College. The non-profit organization was founded by social activist Sanjit "Bunker" Roy and serves as both a school and community outreach center, reports Indio-Asian News Service via Yahoo.

Despite its remote location and limited funds, Barefoot College uses iPads to train students in a variety of advanced technology disciplines including photovoltaic engineering projects. Apple India donated 20 iPads and 10 Macs to the school this year, reports The Better India.

"Powerful: Visiting amazing solar mamas in Rajasthan and visiting a school using iPads to teach." Jackson said in a tweet.

According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the school was founded in 1972. Since the 1990s, students, mostly older semi-literate or illiterate women from developing countries, learn the ins and outs of sophisticated technological systems.

In particular, the "solar mamas" Jackson visited are trained to handle PV systems and batteries, build solar lanterns and establish local electronic workshops in their home town to conduct repairs. The effort has helped to significantly improve living conditions in hundreds of villages across the region.

Jackson embarked on her Barefoot College detour as Apple CEO Tim Cook and other top executives like COO Jeff Williams conducted business meetings in Mumbai. The visit coincides with the announcement of two major Apple initiatives in the country. Tuesday brought news of an upcoming iOS design and development center in Bengaluru set to open next year, while Apple today announced it will hire up to 4,000 workers to further Maps products at a dedicated development center in Hyderabad.

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15 Comments

rogifan_new

said about 7 years ago

This is all great but I wonder if Tim Cook really realizes how much negativity there is around Apple right now? I was just reading a couple articles on the new San Francisco store and they were full of negativity and snark, with one saying 'the new Apple Store, same as the old Apple Store except for trees'. Another had quotes from "analysts" saying Apple is in decline and new stores won't help blah blah blah. The former COO of Microsoft was on TV saying Apple isn't innovating anymore. My Twitter feed is full of tech analysts (some normally pro-Apple) talking up Google I/O and sounding warning signs for Apple. John Gruber recently had Ben Thompson on his podcast and it was basically 2 hours of bearish Apple sentiment (I've also noticed that Gruber is linking to a lot more negative pieces lately).

Whether all this D&G is justified or not doesn't matter. Eventually perception becomes reality. This seems a lot like 2013 when Samsung and the Galaxy S3 were the hottest thing and people were calling for the board to replace Tim Cook. Only difference is we still had large screen phones and China Mobile coming in 2014. What do we have now to offset this negative perception and the meme that everyone is killing it except Apple?

JinTech

said about 7 years ago

rogifan_new said:

This is all great but I wonder if Tim Cook really realizes how much negativity there is around Apple right now? I was just reading a couple articles on the new San Francisco store and they were full of negativity and snark, with one saying 'the new Apple Store, same as the old Apple Store except for trees'. Another had quotes from "analysts" saying Apple is in decline and new stores won't help blah blah blah. The former COO of Microsoft was on TV saying Apple isn't innovating anymore. My Twitter feed is full of tech analysts (some normally pro-Apple) talking up Google I/O and sounding warning signs for Apple. John Gruber recently had Ben Thompson on his podcast and it was basically 2 hours of bearish Apple sentiment (I've also noticed that Gruber is linking to a lot more negative pieces lately).

Whether all this D&G is justified or not doesn't matter. Eventually perception becomes reality. This seems a lot like 2013 when Samsung and the Galaxy S3 were the hottest thing and people were calling for the board to replace Tim Cook. Only difference is we still had large screen phones and China Mobile coming in 2014. What do we have now to offset this negative perception and the meme that everyone is killing it except Apple?

Do people really expect a wild and new product from Apple every 12 months? I've said it once, I'll say it again, let's see what Apple have up their sleeves at WWDC and if it that event still previews lackluster tech then let's start the negativity.

LoneStar88

said about 7 years ago

rogifan_new said:

This is all great but I wonder if Tim Cook really realizes how much negativity there is around Apple right now? I was just reading a couple articles on the new San Francisco store and they were full of negativity and snark, with one saying 'the new Apple Store, same as the old Apple Store except for trees'. Another had quotes from "analysts" saying Apple is in decline and new stores won't help blah blah blah. The former COO of Microsoft was on TV saying Apple isn't innovating anymore. My Twitter feed is full of tech analysts (some normally pro-Apple) talking up Google I/O and sounding warning signs for Apple. John Gruber recently had Ben Thompson on his podcast and it was basically 2 hours of bearish Apple sentiment (I've also noticed that Gruber is linking to a lot more negative pieces lately).

Whether all this D&G is justified or not doesn't matter. Eventually perception becomes reality. This seems a lot like 2013 when Samsung and the Galaxy S3 were the hottest thing and people were calling for the board to replace Tim Cook. Only difference is we still had large screen phones and China Mobile coming in 2014. What do we have now to offset this negative perception and the meme that everyone is killing it except Apple?

So are you just another mindless drone compulsively wringing your hands over all the negativity you mention? Don't you realize that you get what you put your attention on? Successful companies, as well as individuals, spend little or no time or attention on negatives, but simply work rather furiously and happily on creating and building things. These are great new stores with unique qualities and benefits yet to be realized by anyone. So get off your stupid rant and consider the POSITIVE possibilities!

radster360

said about 7 years ago

I thought Tim Cook was by himself on his trip to India. It is really good to hear that he has taken his wider team to India. It is really great to see what he is doing. He is actually taking wholistic approach. He is working the software angle with setting up two different development shop there (Pick Me! Pick Me). I believe he is working the hardware angle too. There is no doubt we will see Designed in California and Make in India (India's PM moto) on Apple products soon. He has certainly worked out the retail angle - 3 Apple stores to start out with. And, I am sure he will work out the sales angle (especially the refurb products) soon.

Maybe India will work out and take care of sale loss in China.

thewhitefalcon

said about 7 years ago

rogifan_new said:

This is all great but I wonder if Tim Cook really realizes how much negativity there is around Apple right now? I was just reading a couple articles on the new San Francisco store and they were full of negativity and snark, with one saying 'the new Apple Store, same as the old Apple Store except for trees'. Another had quotes from "analysts" saying Apple is in decline and new stores won't help blah blah blah. The former COO of Microsoft was on TV saying Apple isn't innovating anymore. My Twitter feed is full of tech analysts (some normally pro-Apple) talking up Google I/O and sounding warning signs for Apple. John Gruber recently had Ben Thompson on his podcast and it was basically 2 hours of bearish Apple sentiment (I've also noticed that Gruber is linking to a lot more negative pieces lately).

Whether all this D&G is justified or not doesn't matter. Eventually perception becomes reality. This seems a lot like 2013 when Samsung and the Galaxy S3 were the hottest thing and people were calling for the board to replace Tim Cook. Only difference is we still had large screen phones and China Mobile coming in 2014. What do we have now to offset this negative perception and the meme that everyone is killing it except Apple?

To be fair, the new Apple Store concept is completely stupid. Apple needs some better top management, there doesn't seem to be a maestro conducting the rest of the execs and the e-suite doesn't appear to work well without supervision.