After years of slow and steady moves, Google might finally be going all in on Made in India. According to a new report, Alphabet—the parent company behind Google—is now in active talks with local manufacturing giants to shift a larger chunk of its Pixel smartphone production from Vietnam to India.
And if that sounds familiar, it’s because Apple’s already doing the same thing. But what’s with this sudden urgency? It has everything to do with US President Donald Trump’s latest tariff playbook.
Trump’s tariffs are pushing Big Tech to rethink supply chains
Earlier this month, Trump slapped new tariffs on a bunch of countries—China, Vietnam, and yes, even India. The rate for Vietnam is set at a whopping 46%, while India’s tariff stands at 26%. China, unsurprisingly, is getting the worst of it with duties as high as 145%.
These new rules were meant to pressure supply chains back to the US, but instead, they’ve triggered a global reshuffle—with companies like Apple and Google scrambling to soften the blow.
For Google, Vietnam is no longer a safe haven for Pixel production. So it’s now accelerating plans to scale up manufacturing in India.
Talks with Dixon and Foxconn are heating up
According to The Economic Times, Google has been in conversations with manufacturing heavyweights Foxconn and Dixon Technologies. It’s not just about assembly either—Google reportedly wants components like fingerprint scanners, batteries, and chargers to be sourced locally. That’s a big shift from importing everything in bulk.
At the moment, around 45,000 Pixel phones are already being made every month in India, mainly for the domestic market. But now, Google wants to turn India into a global export hub—just like Apple has done with its iPhones.
Could this make Pixels cheaper in India?
If Google ramps up local sourcing and production, it’s possible we could see a drop in Pixel prices here. Cheaper components and reduced import costs usually translate to better pricing—though it’s still too early to say how much consumers will actually save.
More importantly, this shift is a sign that India is becoming a serious player in global tech manufacturing. With Pixel production increasing and component suppliers setting up shop locally, we could see more premium smartphones bearing the Made in India tag in the near future.
And for Google, this might just be the smartest way to dodge a tariff war—without compromising on its global ambitions.
