After Apple, Google is set to manufacture Pixel smartphones in India. The company plans to export the devices to Europe and the US. According to reports, Google will soon start commercial production through partnerships with Foxconn and Dixon Technologies' subsidiary Padget Electronics.
The company has already commenced trial production in Tamil Nadu with Foxconn, a major manufacturer of Apple devices. When contacted, Google India did not provide an immediate comment.
According to reports, Google may make a formal announcement of this development in the second half of the year. The base variant of the Pixel phone would be produced by Dixon Technologies, while Foxconn would manufacture the Pro variants.
Commercial production is expected to begin in September, and the export may commence once the production stabilises. This move aligns with the government's production-linked incentive (PLI) program, which aims to enhance domestic manufacturing, as per the reports.
Meanwhile, in the first two months of the current financial year, Apple exported iPhones worth over Rs 16,500 crore, which accounted for more than 80 percent of the country's total iPhone production and assembly. Foxconn led total exports at about 65 percent. In FY 24, Apple saw a total iPhone production of around USD 14 billion.
The company has increased iPhone production, and according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, one out of seven iPhones in the world is now being manufactured in India. Data from the India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) shows that mobile phone production has surged from Rs 18,900 crore in 2014-15 to an estimated Rs 4.10 lakh crore in FY24. This reflects an increase of a massive 2,000 percent, driven by the PLI scheme.
In other news, Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 16 series in September this year. The upcoming iPhone 16 series is anticipated to have several upgrades compared to its predecessor. Initially, there were rumours that the top-end iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max models would introduce a new A-series processor.
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Inputs from IANS