Google has officially announced the commencement of Pixel 8 production in India, with the first batch of devices rolling off the assembly line. This move comes ahead of the global launch of the Pixel 9 series, scheduled for today, with an India-specific event set for August 14.
The Pixel 8, which debuted globally in October 2023, is now being assembled locally as part of Google’s strategy to boost its presence in the Indian market. Rick Osterloh, Senior Vice President of Devices and Services at Google, had previously confirmed at the Google for India event that the Pixel 8 would begin assembly in India by 2024. However, only select variants of the Pixel 8 series are currently being produced locally.
According to a post on X (formerly Twitter) by Google India, the assembly process has officially started, focusing initially on the base model of the Pixel 8. The production is being handled by Compal, Google’s global manufacturing partner, in collaboration with the Indian electronics manufacturing services (EMS) company Dixon Technologies. The plant has an initial monthly capacity of 100,000 units, with around 25-30 percent expected to be exported.
The local assembly of the Pixel 8 could potentially impact its pricing in India, though it is currently priced starting at Rs. 75,999. Available in two storage options—128GB and 256GB—the Pixel 8 is exclusively sold online through Flipkart, Google’s only authorized seller in the country. However, the Pixel 9 series is anticipated to be available through offline retail channels such as Croma and Reliance Digital.
The announcement of the Pixel 8’s local production aligns with the imminent launch of the Pixel 9 series, underscoring Google’s commitment to expanding its footprint in the Indian market and catering to the growing demand for its flagship smartphones.
