After Apple, Google set to manufacture Pixel phones in India

Following Apple's lead, Google is reportedly gearing up to produce Pixel smartphones in India, with intentions to export them to Europe and the US, as per media reports. The tech giant is expected to initiate commercial production soon, facilitated through partnerships with Foxconn and Padget Electronics, a subsidiary of Dixon Technologies. Trial production has already commenced in Tamil Nadu with Foxconn, known for manufacturing Apple devices. Google India refrained from immediate comment when contacted.

Reports suggest that Google might officially announce these plans in the second half of the year. Dixon Technologies will handle the production of the base variant of the Pixel phone, while Foxconn will manufacture the Pro variants. Commercial production is slated to begin in September, with exports anticipated to commence once production stabilizes.

This move aligns with the government's production-linked incentive (PLI) program aimed at bolstering domestic manufacturing, as indicated by the reports.

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Meanwhile, Apple has already exported iPhones worth over Rs 16,500 crore in the first two months of the current fiscal year, representing more than 80% of the country's total iPhone production/assembly. Foxconn led these exports, accounting for about 65%.

According to data from the India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA), mobile phone production surged from Rs 18,900 crore in 2014-15 to an estimated Rs 4.10 lakh crore in FY24, marking a remarkable increase of 2,000%, largely driven by the PLI scheme.