Google announced Thursday it will begin producing some units of its latest Pixel smartphones in India starting in 2024, becoming the latest tech giant after Apple and Samsung to manufacture its devices in the country.
A Google Pixel 8 pro phone is displayed during a product launch event for the Google Pixel 8, and ... [+]
The announcement was made by Google’s devices chief Rick Osterloh during his keynote at the annual “Google for India” event, alongside Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Without naming specific companies, Osterloh said Google is working with “international and domestic manufacturers to produce Pixel smartphones locally.”
Osterloh said Google intends to start with its latest product, the Pixel 8, and the first India-made phones will come to market in 2024—although it is unclear if this includes the flagship Pixel 8 Pro as well.
According to Bloomberg, Taiwanese firm Foxconn and Indian manufacturer Dixon Technologies are in the running to produce Pixel phones in India.
Google’s flagship smartphones are currently manufactured in China and Vietnam.
Google’s decision to make its flagship smartphones in the country is a big boost to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s goal to transform India into a manufacturing hub and compete with rival China. In the past few years, Apple has begun assembling its devices in the country as part of its so-called China+1 policy which seeks to diversify its manufacturing base. The launch of the iPhone 15 last month was a major milestone for Apple’s India manufacturing plans as it was the first time that both Indian-made and Chinese-made iPhones launched in the global market at the same time. Previously, production of Apple’s latest models in India would trail China by a few months.
25%. That is the percentage of its iPhones Apple wants to manufacture in India by 2025, Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said in January.
Apple to Sell Made-in-India iPhones on Launch Day for First Time (Bloomberg)
Apple Wants To Make 25% Of Its Products In India, Minister Claims—Backing Up Analysts’ Projections (Forbes)