Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc, announced on Oct 19 that it will manufacture its flagship Pixel phone line in India, citing India as a priority market. As part of the Make in India initiative, the company has stated that it will begin manufacturing the Pixel 8 in India and that the devices will be available in 2024. "India is a priority market for Pixel," said Rick Osterloh, Google's Head of Devices and Services, at the #GoogleForIndia event in New Delhi.

Google is following in the footsteps of other prominent global technology companies such as Apple with this move. For example, Cupertino-based Apple has used this program to expand its network of suppliers in India and significantly increase iPhone production to more than $7 billion during the fiscal year.

India's Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in May held talks with Google's CEO Sundar Pichai, at the company's Mountain View, California headquarters. Their conversation reportedly focused on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative to promote local manufacturing and India's government-supported push for technological advancements.

According to a recent Counterpoint Research report, India is now the second-largest mobile phone manufacturing hub due to heavy investment from original equipment manufacturers, original design manufacturers, and companies dealing in components and parts.

As per the Research, India will export approximately 22% of its total assembled mobile phones in 2023. In a boost to the 'Make in India' initiative, India saw mobile phone exports worth $5.5 billion (over Rs 45,000 crore) in the April-August period of the current fiscal year (FY24), according to recent government and industry data.

In the current fiscal year, India's mobile phone exports are expected to exceed Rs 1,20,000 crore, with Apple leading the market with more than 50% in FY24.