Google has announced the rollout of its first Made in India produced ‘Pixel 8’ devices in the country, nearly 10 months after revealing its domestic manufacturing plans for the devices.
This development comes ahead of the expected Pixel 9 unveiling later this week.
“Excited to announce that the first of our Made in India Google #Pixel8 devices have started rolling off the production lines,” Google India wrote in a post on X.
“Grateful for the partnership with Hon’ble Minister @AshwiniVaishnaw as we look forward to bringing the #TeamPixel experience to people across India,” it added.
According to TechCrunch, local manufacturing is currently limited to the Pixel 8 and doesn’t include the Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 8a devices.
Moneycontrol reported last month that two manufacturing companies will handle the Pixel 8 manufacturing – Foxconn and Dixon Technologies. According to the report, Google is likely to make India an important hub for manufacturing Pixel phones.
In October last year, Google announced plans to manufacture its Pixel smartphones in India, the world’s second-biggest smartphone market after China, as part of its plan to expand its manufacturing presence there.
Along with Google, Apple and Samsung also manufacture their devices in India, which are sold locally and exported to various emerging markets. Additionally, Chinese companies, including Xiaomi and Oppo, produce locally to satisfy local demand.