Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announced on Friday that Google Pixel smartphones will soon be manufactured locally in the state at a facility near Chennai. This development adds to the state's existing manufacturing units for Samsung and Apple smartphones, further bolstering its position in the global electronics market. Alphabet Inc., led by Sundar Pichai, aims to tap into the rising demand for premium smartphones in India, the world's second-largest smartphone market.
State Industry Minister TRB Raja visited Google's US headquarters along with Foxconn officials to discuss the establishment of a manufacturing plant in Tamil Nadu. Following these negotiations, Google has committed to setting up a Pixel smartphone manufacturing facility in collaboration with Foxconn, according to Chief Minister Stalin.
During a meeting with Google officials in Chennai on Thursday, Stalin highlighted the employment opportunities this new plant would create for Tamil Nadu's IT-educated youth. Last year, Google partnered with HP to manufacture Chromebooks at a Flex facility in Chennai, indicating a growing trend of high-tech manufacturing in the region.
At the 'Google for India 2023' event, Alphabet Inc. announced plans to manufacture Pixel smartphones in India, with the Pixel 8 expected to hit the market in 2024. Sundar Pichai emphasized Google's commitment to supporting India's digital growth and the Make in India initiative.
Chief Minister Stalin also reiterated Tamil Nadu's ambition to become an advanced manufacturing hub and achieve a USD 1 trillion economy by 2030. The state has attracted investments totaling Rs 9.61 lakh crore through various international investment conferences. These efforts have resulted in the creation of 30 lakh jobs in Tamil Nadu.
India's smartphone market saw shipments of 34 million units in the first quarter of 2024, marking an 11.5% year-over-year growth, according to the Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker by International Data Corporation. Tamil Nadu, the largest exporter of electronic goods in India for FY23, accounted for 30% of the country's electronic goods exports in FY24.