Pixel 8 Locally Produced in India Starts Shipping Before Pixel 9

Nearly 10 months after announcing plans to produce devices in the country, and ahead of the expected Pixel 9 unveiling later this week, Google has announced the launch of locally manufactured Pixel 8 devices in India.

The Android maker confirmed to TechCrunch that local production is currently limited to the Pixel 8, and does not include the Pixel 8 Pro or Pixel 8a.

In October, Google announced plans to assemble its Pixel smartphone series in India, expanding its presence in the Indian smartphone market, the world’s second-largest after China, and leveraging India’s expanding manufacturing base.

On Monday, Google unveiled its successor and said the first batch of India-made Pixel 8 devices have started rolling off the assembly line.

Google is yet to announce a local manufacturing partner. However, sources confirmed to TechCrunch that Google’s global manufacturing partner Compal had initially partnered with India’s Dixon Technologies to assemble Pixel 8 models locally. Dixon Managing Director Atul B. Lall also confirmed the partnership with Compal during an earnings call in July, but did not provide further details.

New Delhi is encouraging global electronics brands to produce devices locally in India to compete with China and other global manufacturing hubs. The Indian government has earmarked billions of dollars in incentives to offer cashbacks and subsidies to companies that take the local production route.

According to a statement by Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada in the Indian Parliament last week, 99.2% of the country’s mobile phone demand is already being met by locally manufactured handsets. The country is set to register a massive 8,138% increase in local production of mobile phones, from $2.25 billion in 2014-15 to $50 billion in 2023-24. Similarly, exports of locally manufactured mobile phones are set to increase from $186.54 million in 2014-15 to $15.37 billion in 2023-24.

In addition to Google, Apple and Samsung also produce devices in India to sell locally or export to various emerging markets. Chinese companies such as Xiaomi and Oppo also have domestic production to fulfill local demand. However, the export share of these companies is not that significant so far.

Google is holding a hardware event on Tuesday where it is expected to unveil the Pixel 9 series, Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and Pixel Watch 3. The company is also likely to talk about its Gemini AI upgrade, especially for mobile devices.