Google to start Pixel smartphone production in India this year: reports

Google plans to start producing Pixel smartphones in India as early as next quarter, as per a report by the Japanese-English daily Nikkei Asia. The report states that Google has already informed suppliers of this plan,  even though no official statement has been made by the company yet.

Google would start manufacturing smartphones in India and its flagship Pixel 8 will be available in 2024, it said last October, as it focuses more on a key growth market. The move will also help Google diversify its supply chain away from China, the Nikkei report said, citing a person with direct knowledge of the matter.

The tech giant will prepare production lines for its high-end Pixel 8 Pro smartphones in the coming weeks and start producing phones in the April-June quarter, the report added, citing multiple sources. The report did not say how many phones Google plans to manufacture India nor if the phones will be for sale in the country or for exports.

Google did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.