At the Google for India 2023 event, Google revealed its plan to produce Pixel series premium smartphones in India, starting with the Pixel 8. Today, the company has confirmed that ‘Made in India’ Pixel 8 devices have started rolling off the production lines.
“Grateful for the partnership with Hon’ble Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw
as we look forward to bringing the #TeamPixel experience to people across India,” said Google India.
Earlier reports revealed that Google has partnered with Foxconn and Dixon subsidiary Padget Electronics for the local manufacturing of Pixel phones. The production was rumoured to begin Q2, 2024 starting from Pixel 8 Pro.
Google already said that it considers India a top priority for Pixel smartphones due to their increasing popularity in the country over the years. This marks the beginning of their journey to expand device production capacity and meet the growing demand for Pixel in India.
This move is also part of Google’s plan to ship over 10 million Pixel phones this year, building on the approximately 10 million units it shipped in 2023 amidst a global economic slowdown. Google’s shift to India signifies a significant change in its supply chain strategy, previously reliant heavily on China for Pixel production.
Google has already confirmed the launch of Pixel 9 series including the Pixel 9 Fold in India on August 14th, hours after it is introduced at the global event on August 13th.
Since the ‘Made in India’ Pixel 8 is just out of production, we can expect the units to be hit the stores in the coming days.