WWDC 2024: Apple CEO meets Indian Swift Student Challenge winner

Apple is all geared up to host the World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) 2024 in Cupertino on June 10.

Ahead of the annual developers' summit, it is customary for Apple CEO Tim Cook to meet budding student app developers. This year, Indian coder Akshat Srivastava, one of the 50 distinguished Swift Challenge winners had an opportunity to interact with Tim Cook and high-profile experts at Apple.

22-year-old Srivastava hails from the city of Varanasi, India. He is pursuing an engineering degree at BITS Pilani K K Birla College in Goa.

Srivastava has been coding since 16 years of age. During the Covid-19 pandemic-induced lockdown, he developed a novel app that could scrape information related to vacant beds in Hospitals shared on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, and make it available on one platform for people to book slots in the nearest healthcare centres.

For this edition of the Swift Student Challenge, Srivastava submitted MindBud, a fun creative app.

Taking inspiration from playful moments he shared with his nephew, Srivastava developed MindBud, which fosters analytical and innovative thinking in kids.

“I met so many extraordinary developers when I visited India last year, and I saw so much excitement for the many ways that technology can enrich people’s lives. And it was equally wonderful to meet Akshat this week and see how he’s created a whole new way to share his love of classic games with the next generation. Akshat is part of a growing generation of developers from all across India who are bringing their best ideas to life through coding, and making an important impact in their communities and around the world,” said Tim Cook.

MindBud app features four engaging mini-games designed for kids to enjoy with family and friends. The app uses SwiftUI, AVKit (audio), PencilKit (for iPads), and FileManager, to deliver an immersive experience to make learning a fun activity.

"I had the incredible opportunity to visit Apple Park in Cupertino, for winning the Swift Student Challenge. From the moment I arrived, I was amazed by the innovative design and vibrant energy of the place. The highlight of my trip was presenting my project to Tim Cook, which felt like a dream come true. His genuine interest and insightful feedback were incredibly inspiring and made all my hard work feel worthwhile. This unforgettable experience confirmed my passion for technology and motivated me to keep pushing boundaries and making an impact," said Akshat Srivastava.

Srivastava says the MindBud will soon make its way to the Apple App Store.

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