Apple hires Khushboo Ponwar for AppStore, iTunes for Indian market

Multinational technology Apple has announced the appointment of Khushboo Ponwar as market development lead for App Store, Apple Music and iTunes.

Ponwar's job will be to focus solely on India, a market with strong growth amid slowing global sales for the Cupertino-based smartphone maker.

Ponwar was previously responsible for App Store, Apple Music and iTunes business in the Middle East, Turkey, Africa and India.

India was among the few bright spots for Apple in its second quarter earnings, which saw its largest growing market China shrink its revenue fall by 11 percent.

In China, it dropped to the number five position with a 10.8 percent share of the smartphones sold in May, down from 12 percent a year before, according to Counterpoint Technology Market Research.

The Indian government has reached out to the company on renewing its application to set up wholly owned stores in the country, after rebuffing it the first time over local-sourcing exemptions. The rules have since changed.

The move came after Apple CEO Tim Cook visited India and opened its new office in Hyderabad, investing about USD 25 million and creating up to 4,000 jobs.