What you need to know
- Google is reportedly looking to follow Apple and produce some of its phones in India.
- The company is allegedly in talks with manufacturing plants like Lava, Dixon, and Foxconn.
- Foxconn already makes iPhones and other regional Android smartphones in the country.
Google is reportedly in talks with smartphone production plants Lava, Dixon, and Foxconn to manufacture its Pixel devices in India, reports Bloomberg.
According to people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg says that Google aims to shift some of its device production to India instead of completely relying on manufacturing plants based in China and Vietnam.
After Apple similarly shifted gears, it appears Google may be following in its footsteps to branch out its production. The manufacturing plants are said to have boosted smartphone production rapidly in the country for companies like Apple.
For instance, in collaboration with partner Foxconn, the iPhone manufacturer recently decided to build a $700 million plant in the Southern Indian state of Karnataka.
According to Bloomberg, Google's latest planning coincides with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to make the country an alternative manufacturing hub, which could be an attractive alternative for companies due to the ongoing trade wars between the U.S. and China.
Bloomberg points out that there is no assurance that Google's negotiations will pan out for production to occur in India. Despite still being in talks, the business may still decide to completely avoid producing the Pixel in India, according to the sources familiar with the situation.
Google has seemingly shifted its focus back to India in 2022 since skipping the company for Pixel launches as far back as the Pixel 4, a trend that ended with the launch of the Pixel 6a released last year.
However, despite launching the Pixel 7 series (including the Pixel 7a) in the country, the company's latest releases, the Pixel Fold and the Pixel Tablet are so far not launching in the Indian market this year, which is kind of annoying for fans in the country.
Starting at just $499, the Pixel 7a comes with the same processor as the more-expensive Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, plus excellent cameras and haptics.
