With it’s eyes set on joining global companies set up manufacturing facilities in India, tech giant Google says it will commence the manufacturing of smartphones in India.
Google also revealed that it’s flagship phone, the Google Pixel 8 will be manufactured in the Asain country, and available for sale next year.
Senior Vice President, Devices and Services, Rick Osterloh, at a Google for India event on Thursday revealed that the company will partner international and domestic manufacturers to produce the smartphones locally.
According to Osterloh, “India is a priority market for Pixel smartphones, and we’re committed to bringing the best of our hardware and underlying built-in software capabilities to people across the country.”
The company has announced plans to allow users to book metro tickets directly from the Google Maps app but details on number of smartphones to be manufactured and the site of the factories were not specified.
Google, which runs one of the largest payment apps via Google Pay, also revealed that it will collaborate with an Indian non-bank lender, DMI Finance, for small loans for merchants starting at 15,000 rupees ($180).
Google Pay already disbursed loans through a number of lenders and will also introduce credit via UPI, a facility recently allowed by the Central Bank, in partnership with large banks.
The company has been facing regulatory challenges as it is fighting several antitrust battles including one related to alleged abuse of its position in the Android market.
Global companies are eyeing India as their next growth driver, including Apple which is projected to account for 7% of all smartphone sales in the country from July to December, and Google counts India as a key growth market, where most smartphones run on its Android ecosystem.
During a virtual meeting last week with Alphabet’s Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai, Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed Google’s plans to open a global fintech operations centre at the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT)