Big boost for ‘Make in India’ – Alphabet’s Google to start Pixel smartphone production by ‘next quarter’

In a big boost for ‘Make in India’ programme, Alphabet’s Google has told its suppliers to commence the production of its popular Pixel cellphones in India soon, a latest Nikkei Asia report said on Wednesday. The report says that Google has put a concrete timeline regarding the plan. Pixel smartphone production will begin by ‘next quarter at the earliest,’ the report added.

The plan showcases Google’s next phase of diversification and create a new supply chain ecosystem that’s not dependent on China, the report added. By moving the smartphone production in India, Google will also attempt to take leverage of the growing India cellphone market.

The development comes after Google made the announcement of India-based smartphone production in October last year. The ‘Make in India’ is part of Google’s plan to ship over 10 million Pixel phones in 2024. The Nikkei report further added that the tech giant is readying to set up the production lines for its flagship Pixel 8 Pro smartphones in coming weeks. The Pixel production will begin in April-June period, the report said quoting several sources.

In October 2023, an announcement was made in the presence of IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Rick Osterloh, the head of devices and services at Google. During this event, it was disclosed that Google intended to collaborate with both domestic and international manufacturers to manufacture Pixel smartphones within India. Although specific manufacturing partners have yet to be officially unveiled by the company, industry speculation suggests that Google may forge partnerships with well-established manufacturers such as Foxconn and Dixon Technologies.