BENGALURU: Apple Inc is evaluating options to set up a company-owned technology development centre in India, which, if it happens, will rank as a significant endorsement of the country’s software engineering prowess.A person familiar with the Cupertino, California-based personal technology behemoth’s thinking said Apple was in "early stages" of evaluating the move. It will be the company’s second attempt at building a technology captive in India. In 2006, Apple shut down its tech support centre in India citing poor service quality. "This time, things have changed. The real draw is the pool of engineers specialised in retail and e-commerce," said this person familiar with Apple's strategy.Indian engineers are now writing next generation codes for some of the world’s biggest retailers such as Walmart and Amazon , and also a host of Indian online retail startups which use technology as a key differentiator.Another person familiar with the early discussions taking place in Cupertino said Bob Kupbens , a former executive with US retailer Target and Delta Air Lines, who is now a vice-president at Apple Online Retail, was the man evaluating the options. Kupbens has past knowledge about India, having overseen strategy and execution at Target’s captive technology development and BPO centre in Bengaluru while at theMinneapolis-based retailer. Apple declined to comment, with a spokesman saying in an emailed response: "We do not comment on rumor and speculation." Even though Apple shuttered its tech support centre, the company has worked with Indian vendors. Infosys, for example, counts Apple among its top customers.However, so far Apple has kept development of core technology operations inside the company and mostly in the United States. It has only outsourced commoditised application maintenance to vendors."A captive can change that strategy," said an executive at a company that works with Apple, adding that he had heard the company was exploring ways to tap into local talent pools. This person requested anonymity because Apple cancels contracts of vendors if they are found talking publicly about their engagement with the company.If Apple, for whom India is fast becoming an important market for its products such as iPhones and iPads, does decide on setting up a technology captive, it will be viewed as an important endorsement of India’s engineering talent.BATTLEGROUND BENGALURUBengaluru, long regarded as India’s tech capital and an outsourcing Mecca, has of late also become a key battleground from where online retail wars are fought globally.This has led to a spike in demand for the city’s engineering talent with a host of companies ranging from biggies such as Walmart and Target to specialty retail outfits L Brands and Lowe’s scrambling to hire talented engineers as they push to conquer the new frontiers of ecommerce: same-day delivery and cut-throat and personalised pricing.The latest to enter this battlefront has been Columbus, Ohiobased L Brands, the seller of lingerie, personal care and beauty products, apparel and accessories such as Victoria’s Secret, Pink, Bath & Body Works, La Senza and Henri Bendel. L Brands wants to develop its next generation ecommerce platform and also analyse customer data to develop new offerings and sell more.For Apple’s Kupbens, his former employer Target’s success with its technology captive, industry watchers believe, could tip his decision in favour of Bengaluru. Target, which set up a technology centre in Bengaluru a decade ago, is now pushing aggressively to build analytics and big data capabilities. Target’s centre has about 20 data scientists with doctorate degrees in operational research combined with newer software skills."If Apple finally decides to come back, it will raise the stature of retail captives in India even more," said the head of a captive centre for one of the global retail giants.Experts said Apple’s recent multi-billion dollar investment plan for a data centre in Europe reflects the strategy to globalise technology operations."We’ve seen Apple take a more global view with their data centres as well as with other services. The theme seems to be global local," said Ray Wang, founder of enterprise technology research and advisory firm Constellation Research