Google has announced that its Made in India Google Pixel 8 has started to roll out. The company had announced nearly ten months ago that it will manufacture its devices in India. The smartphone, as per reports, are likely to be rolled out in partnership with Dixon subsidiary Padget Electronics. “Excited to announce that the first of our Made in India Google Pixel 8 devices have started rolling off the production lines. Grateful for the partnership with Hon’ble Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw as we look forward to bringing the Team Pixel experience to people across India,” said Google India on X. This announcement comes close on the heels of Pixel 9 launch in India.
Will Google Pixel 8 Price be Reduced?
Google’s announcement has prompted consumers to question of the price would be reduced as Pixel 8 is now being assembled locally. However, reducing the price on domestically assembled smartphones may be more complex than that. According to a report issued by Indian Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA), an industry body representing mobile and other electronics assembly and manufacturing units, the cost of assembling a smartphone in China and Vietnam is considerably lower when compared to that of India.
“After adjusting for localisation, the Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA) and its components result in a cost difference of 1.3% compared to China and 1.2% compared to Vietnam. Adding these to the total, the cost increase of Bill of Materials (BOM) in India goes up to about 7% vis-à-vis Vietnam and 8-9% in comparison to China,” says the ICEA report.
The report also goes on to add that reduction on the tariffs of certain components of the smartphone may help. “Due to tariffs on sub-assemblies alone, the BOM cost of a Smartphone produced in India would be about 6% to 7% lower if China’s tariffs were applied. The cost reduction applying Vietnam’s relevant tariffs is about 5% to 6%. This figure does not include the PCBA, which accounts for nearly 45% of the BoM, as it is largely localised,” adds the report.
Google Manufacturing Plans for India
Google, while announcing the Pixel 8 Made in India manufacturing plans, had stated that India is a priority market for Pixel smartphones. “We’re committed to bringing the best of our hardware and underlying built-in software capabilities to people across the country. In recent years, India has established itself as a truly world-class hub for manufacturing, resulting in a thriving environment for businesses to flourish,” said a statement from Google.
F1 Info Solutions, Google’s local distribution partner, has helped the American multinational establish 28 service centers in 27 cities across India. Google has reiterated its commitment to expand its coverage to even more locations and cities.
