After Apple, Google has also chosen India as its new production hub. The American tech giant is planning to move the production of its Pixel smartphones from Vietnam to India. Since August of last year, Google has been manufacturing its Pixel smartphones in India, with the Pixel 8 being its first Indian-made product. Additionally, the Pixel 8a has also been assembled in the country. Going forward, all models of the upcoming Pixel 9 series are set to be produced in India. As per the latest report from ET, Alphabet is considering relocating its global Pixel phone production facility to India due to recently imposed tariffs on Vietnam by the U.S. However, Google has yet to make any official announcement about this move.
With the highest demand for Pixel phones coming from the U.S. market, the company aims to meet this demand more effectively by shifting production to India, thereby reducing its reliance on Vietnam. In response to tariff concerns, the Trump administration imposed hefty tariffs on various countries, including China, although it later specified that tariffs on smartphones and tablets would not be included.
Impact of Tariffs
Google’s parent company, Alphabet, is in discussions with two manufacturing partners, Foxconn and Dixon Technology, regarding the production of Pixel smartphones in India. Reports indicate that the initial talks between Alphabet and these companies have already taken place. Currently, the Trump administration plans to impose a 46 percent import tariff on goods from Vietnam while maintaining a 26 percent tariff on products imported from India. This means Google would face nearly double the tariff by importing Pixel phones from Vietnam compared to manufacturing them in India.
Amid this tariff clash, Apple recently shipped about 600 tonnes of iPhones from India to the U.S., having airlifted approximately 1.5 million units earlier this month. On April 9, the U.S. government also enacted a 90-day ban on reciprocal tariffs, adding another layer of complexity to the ongoing trade situation.
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