“Excited to announce that the first of our Made in India Google #Pixel8 devices have started rolling off the production lines,” Google India posted on X (formerly Twitter).The company expressed gratitude for its partnership with Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Electronics and Information Technology.
This development comes just ahead of Google’s ‘Made by Google’ event on August 13 in California, where the company is expected to unveil its next-generation Pixel 9 series. Google has already confirmed the Pixel 9 series, including the Pixel 9 Fold, will launch in India on August 14.
The move to manufacture Pixels in India aligns with Google’s commitment made at last year’s Google for India event. It’s part of the company’s broader strategy to expand its footprint in India and capitalise on the growing demand for premium smartphones in the country. Google aims to ship over 10 million Pixel phones globally this year, building on approximately 10 million units shipped in 2023.
While specific manufacturing partners were not named in the announcement, earlier reports suggested Google had partnered with Foxconn and Dixon subsidiary Padget Electronics for local production. The Pixel 8 is expected to be the first model manufactured in India, with production rumoured to have begun in Q2 2024.
This shift in Google’s supply chain strategy, previously reliant on China for Pixel production, represents a significant boost to India’s “Make in India” initiative. The locally manufactured Pixel 8 devices are expected to hit stores in the coming days.
