Google has told suppliers to start making its Pixel smartphones in India by the next quarter, as part of its ambitious target to ship more than 10 million Pixel phones this year, according to sources revealed by Nikkei Asia.
In 2023, the company reached a milestone by shipping around 10 million units despite a global economic slowdown.
The decision to increase Pixel production in India comes amid escalating tech tensions between Washington and Beijing. Google has already been manufacturing phones in Vietnam for years.
The majority of Google’s Pixel phones were previously produced in China.
The report claims that Google will prepare production lines for its high-end Pixel 8 Pro smartphones in southern India in the coming weeks, then begin turning out phones in the April-June quarter, according to multiple sources familiar with the plan.
Companies like Apple, Samsung, Oppo and Xiaomi have also announced or commenced plans to expand production in India, which demonstrates a growing desire to diversify supply chains.
Research from IDC shows that the Indian smartphone market grew 1% on the year to 146 million units in 2023, which contrasts sharply with the global smartphone market’s 4.7% decline in the same period.