AP
He was there on business, not pleasure, but even still his trip seemed more fitting for a diplomat or a head of state than a corporate CEO.
That's not surprising. Apple's almost like a country in and of itself. It has 115,00 employees, and claims that it's responsible for creating and supporting 1.9 million jobs when you count its developer ecosystem. It pulled in $234 billion in revenue last fiscal year - a figure similar to the GDP of Portugal.
So it's not surprising that Cook was treated like a dignitary as he traveled to meet with high-ranking officials and other movers and shakers.
Of course, Cook wanted to make sure that iPhones and other Apple interests were well-understood in both China and India, which are both massive markets with room to grow. But he also had to pose for a bunch of photos and meet with local press.
Here's what his trip looked like: