India Has Huge Growth Potential In Premium Smartphone Segment: Google Exec

Big tech major Google reportedly believes that India has huge growth potential in the premium smartphone segment. 

Speaking with news agency PTI, vice-president of Google’s mobile business Nanda Ramachandran said that the premium smartphone segment in the country is poised to outpace many of the tech giant’s other major markets.

“India is a fantastic growing market and we believe that the premium smartphone market in India will exceed pretty much any top markets that we play in, and we want to be a strong player in that market,” he said on the sidelines of the company’s flagship “Made By Google” event.

Terming India a “fantastic growing market”, Ramachandran said that the big tech major’s successful strategy in the smartphone segment would hinge on optimising its product portfolio to meet local demands.

“India is one of the most exciting countries in our footprint right now, and we are fully committed. For us to succeed in India, the first thing we have to take care of is our portfolio,” he reportedly added.

This comes a day after Google said that it has kickstarted manufacturing its Pixel 8 smartphone in the country. 

Speaking at the event in the US, Google’s senior director of product operations Maggie Wei said that the company was manufacturing smartphones in the country at its two facilities in Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, calling them “two very exciting locations”.

Noting that production in India, for now, was only intended for domestic sales, Wei added that the company will consider exporting Made-in-India smartphones if it aligns with their broader strategy. She added that no concrete plans were in place yet to export phones made in the country.

“We see great potential for local production, but we don’t want to limit the production only for the local market…Right now, it is more for local because we have just started,” she added. 

While Pixel 8 is the only smartphone to be manufactured in the country, Wei added that the company plans to expand local production to include the A-series, starting with the Pixel 8a. 

Additionally, Google also announced plans to launch three self-owned walk-in centres, in collaboration with Flipkart-owned F1 Info Solutions, to offer after-sales support for its devices in India. The maiden outlets will be set up in Delhi and Bengaluru. While a third centre is being planned for Mumbai, it will be launched later. 

Additionally, the company has also set its eyes on bolstering its retail footprint as it looks to further expand its reach and sales. At the event, the company also announced a partnership with Reliance Digital and Croma to sell Pixel phones at these retail chains. 

The company said that Pixel products will now be available in over 150 Croma and Reliance Retail stores across 15 cities in India.

On August 13, Google also announced the launch of its latest Pixel 9 series, marking its entry into the foldable smartphone market. It also unveiled the Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Buds Pro 2 at the much touted event.

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