Google has followed in Apple's footsteps, as the global tech giant is slated to manufacture its flagship Pixel smartphones in India. Google's parent firm Alphabet Inc's announced that the India made Pixel 8 smartphones will be on the market by 2024. This move is a part of the Make in India initiative.
Speaking at the #GoogleForIndia event in New Delhi, Google's Rick Osterloh, Head of Devices & Services said, "India is a priority market for Pixel".
“We shared plans at GoogleForIndia to manufacture Pixel smartphones locally and expect the first devices to roll out in 2024. We’re committed to being a trusted partner in India’s digital growth- appreciate the support for Make In India,” Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google and Alphabet, said in an X post.
In the fiscal year that ends in March 2023, Apple, raised iPhone production to over $7 billion by utilizing this scheme to grow its network of suppliers in India.
Samsung Electronics Co., located in South Korea, produces its Galaxy smartphones in India, while Chinese Android sellers like Xiaomi have partnered with regional assemblers.
In May, Google CEO Sundar Pichai met with Ashwini Vaishnaw, India's minister of technology, at the firm's Mountain View, California, headquarters. They allegedly discussed India's government-supported push for technological improvements as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative to promote local manufacturing.
Due to significant investment from original equipment manufacturers, original design manufacturers, and businesses that deal in components and parts, India is now the second-largest manufacturing hub for mobile phones, and would export around 22 per cent of all built mobile phones in 2023, according to a recent research by Counterpoint Research.
According to recent government and industry figures, India exported mobile phones worth $5.5 billion (about Rs 45,000 crore) from April to August of the current fiscal year (FY24), giving the 'Make in India' effort a boost.
In the current fiscal year, India is expected to export mobile phones worth more than Rs 1,20,000 crore, with Apple dominating with a market share of more than 50 per cent.
