Google plans to kick off the Pixel 8 series production this year in India. A report by Nikkei Asia claims that Google has told suppliers to start Pixel smartphone manufacturing in India as early as next quarter, that is Q2, 2024. This could happen in April.
Google Might Setup Multiple Manufacturing Units in India
Google is reportedly setting up a manufacturing facility in the southern part of the country. The Made in India Pixel 8 Pro units are expected to hit shelves sometime between April to June. Post this, the company will set up another production unit, in the Northern part of the country, to manufacture the vanilla Google Pixel 8.
It is said that Google wants to decentralise its supply chain from China. The company, a couple of years back, started manufacturing Pixel smartphones in Vietnam amid rising tension between the US and China. By setting up manufacturing units in India, Google can reduce its dependency on Chinese manufacturing units. Apple, Samsung, and more OEMs already have their production units in India.
Google’s move to start manufacturing Pixel smartphones in India could also be seen as a result of the Indian government’s push to turn the country into a tech manufacturing powerhouse. To do so, the government is offering various incentives to companies. This can also help the tech giant have a strong foothold in the country, which is otherwise not so impressive.
To recall, Google announced its plan to manufacture Pixel smartphones in India last year at the Google for India event and suggested that Made in India Pixel handsets will hit the market sometime in 2024. Google aims to ship more than 10 million Pixel smartphones in 2024 and setting up production facilities in India could help the company achieve the goal. The brand managed to sell around 10 million Pixel handsets in 2023.
