Google parent company Alphabet has announced it will start manufacturing smartphones in India. The company announced today (19 Oct) at its ‘Google for India 2023’ event that its flagship Pixel 8 smartphone will be available in the coming year.
Senior vice president of devices and services at Google, Rick Osterloh, revealed that the company intends to partner with both international and domestic manufacturers to facilitate local production.
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Though details regarding the scale of production and the locations of manufacturing facilities were not disclosed, Google highlighted that India is a top priority market for its Pixel smartphones.
Other announcements at the event include that Google users will also soon be able to book metro tickets directly from the Google Maps app, streamlining public transportation access for Indian commuters.
Google is also expanding its footprint in the Indian fintech sector, with a partnership with Indian non-bank lender DMI Finance, aiming to provide small loans to merchants, starting at 15,000 rupees (approximately $180).
This announcement follows growing demand for small personal loans in India, and it leverages the presence of Google Pay, one of India’s prominent digital payment platforms.
India’s large consumer base and its rapidly expanding economy remain a strong driver for global companies to invest in the country.
In May, India unveiled a $2.1bn financial incentive plan to draw makers of laptops and computer hardware to the country.
Earlier this month, Google announced it will be making its flagship Chromebook laptops in India, to increase Google’s supply to the country and be in a better position to compete with rivals like Dell.
