Google eyes India for smartphonesAFP, NEW DELHIGoogle plans to manufacture its flagship Pixel 8 smartphone in India, Google chief executive officer Sundar Pichai said on Thursday, joining a growing list of global technolgy companies limiting their supply chains’ dependence on China. “We shared plans at #GoogleforIndia [event on Thursday] to manufacture Pixel smartphones locally and expect the first devices to roll out in 2024,” Pichai wrote on X. Google senior vice president Rick Osterloh said that the firm sees “an even greater opportunity to make Pixel smartphones available to more people” in India. The company intends to “start with the Pixel 8, and will partner with international and domestic manufacturers to produce Pixel smartphones locally,” the statement said. India, which is home to the second-highest number of smartphone users in the world after China, has set a target of producing about US$300 billion of local electronics and smartphones by 2025-2026.
