"I think what we hope from this accelerator is that we can help the local market create apps for customers in India that better meet the needs of our growing customer base here," Schiller said. "We also think we can help developers here at the accelerator to make apps that reach further around the world, because there's an entire world that wants their software too, and having that opportunity is something that's of benefit to them and now people here can help them learn more about that and take better advantage of it."

Apple CEO Tim Cook first announced the accelerator last May, so it's a bit surprising it took almost a year to make it a reality. The company is likely keeping its eye closely on India as a growth market following slowing sales in China. The accelerator won't do much to combat Android's foothold in India, but it could be a way for Apple to court developers who are looking to branch out from Google's ecosystem.