Google said on Thursday that it will start making the latest Pixel smartphones in India, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Make in India" initiative. Google plans to start manufacturing the Pixel 8 "very soon."
Google will start making Pixel smartphones in India in 2024. The company is partnering with international and domestic manufacturers to produce Pixel smartphones locally, said Rick Osterloh, Senior Vice-President of Devices and Services, at Google, at the Google for India event.
Google has been talking to Indian manufacturers Lava, Dixon, and Bharat FIH, as well as suppliers, about assembling its Pixel smartphones in India. Many of Apple's latest iPhone 15 models, which are now available in global markets, have the "Assembled in India" label.
Google's plans to manufacture Pixel smartphones in India gained momentum in the summer after Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai met with Indian Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw to discuss the matter.
All of the companies that Google is considering as local partners are eligible for the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, which provides financial incentives to companies that manufacture electronics in India.