Google Casts Its Net for Indian Partners to Assemble Pixel Smartphones

Google is actively seeking collaborations with Indian partners to commence the assembly of its Pixel smartphones within India. This move reflects the tech giant's keen interest in the Indian market, which has been evident for more than a year. In a parallel development, Apple, which has already been manufacturing 7% of its global iPhone output in India, aims to expand this figure to 25%.

It is noteworthy that Google was one of the initial markets for Pixel smartphones. However, the company refrained from launching its flagship Pixel products in India in 2019, 2020, and 2021.

As reported by Bloomberg, Google is engaging in talks with prospective partners who have been recipients of production-linked financial incentives – a move that has significantly bolstered the domestic manufacturing of electronics in India.

Apple has been an exemplar in capitalising on the “Make in India” initiative, and currently produces iPhones worth $7 billion in the country. Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has been instrumental in promoting India as a global manufacturing hub, particularly in the realm of electronics. His endeavours have gained further traction in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been marked by geopolitical tensions and lockdowns in China that disrupted the global electronics supply chain.

In a significant development in May, India’s IT Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, held discussions with Alphabet and Google CEO, Sundar Pichai, in California, where the topic of local manufacturing was brought to the forefront. Furthermore, Google has integrated India’s digital locker into its Android operating system.

This month, Google executives, including Ana Corrales, the Chief Operating Officer of its consumer hardware business, and Maggie Wei, the Senior Director of Global Sustaining Product Operations, visited India. Reports indicate that the executives convened with key players in local manufacturing, such as Lava, Dixon, and Foxconn.

The Pixel 7A, Google’s latest offering, was recently launched in India and received a warm reception. Acko Drive has also appraised the product positively. In 2022, Google reintroduced its flagship Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro smartphones to the Indian market, and there is a prevailing sentiment that the Pixel 8 series will follow suit.

Moreover, Google has forged a partnership with F1 Solutions Private Limited to enhance the after-sales service of its Pixel smartphones, addressing a concern that had been a source of consternation for early adopters in India.

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