Google wants to shift Pixel phone production in India amid China exit: Report
Follow UsGoogle plans to shift Pixel production from China to India and Vietnam by 2027.
India is already becoming a major Pixel manufacturing and export hub.
Rising Pixel demand could further increase Google’s production in India.
Google is preparing to reduce its dependence on China for Pixel manufacturing, with India and Vietnam emerging as the company’s key alternatives. According to reports, Google has told suppliers that it wants to move production of Pixel smartphones, smartwatches and wireless earbuds out of China by 2027. The move comes as the company looks to protect its supply chain from rising geopolitical risks while preparing for higher Pixel demand. India could gain significantly from this shift because Google already has manufacturing partners and an expanding export base in the country. With Pixel shipments expected to grow this year, India may become an increasingly important part of Google’s global hardware business.
SurveyGoogle plans to move Pixel production out of China
According to a recent report by NikiAsia, Google is planning to gradually shift Pixel production to India and Vietnam. The company has already started producing high-end Pixel phones in Vietnam, giving it confidence that more complex devices can be made outside China.
If the transition is completed, Google would become the second major smartphone brand after Samsung to move smartphone production substantially away from China. Google does not sell Pixel phones in China, which could make the change easier than it would be for companies that depend heavily on the Chinese market.
India already has a Pixel manufacturing base
India is not starting from scratch. Foxconn assembles Pixel phones at its Tamil Nadu facility, while Dixon Technologies’ wholly owned Padget Electronics manufactures Pixel devices in Noida in partnership with Taiwan-based Compal Electronics.
India has also seen a sharp rise in Pixel exports. Google exported 10,504 Pixel devices from India during January and February 2026, compared with 602 in the same period a year earlier. That represents a 17.4-fold increase. People familiar with the matter say that Google could further expand exports from India, particularly to markets such as the US and Europe.
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Why India could become more important
India offers Google an established smartphone manufacturing and export ecosystem, along with a large premium smartphone market. The country could also be attractive for US-bound production because of its relatively lower tariff exposure compared with Vietnam.
However, China still has a much deeper network of suppliers and component manufacturers, and building a similar ecosystem in India and Vietnam will take time. What makes India a contender, though, is that the country is already manufacturing Pixel devices, while Apple and Samsung have also shifted production to the country.
Google is also targeting 8 to 10 per cent growth in Pixel shipments this year from around 12 million units in 2025. If that growth continues, a larger manufacturing base in India could help Google meet demand while reducing its reliance on China.
