Ahead of the launch of its new Pixel series – the Pixel 9 series, Google has decided to launch the locally manufactured Pixel 8 in India. The move comes nearly 10 months after it revealed its Indian manufacturing plans for the device. However, according to a report by TechCrunch, this roll out is only for the Pixel 8 and not its other models – the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a.

On Monday, Google India announced on X (formerly Twitter) that the first batch of Made-in-India Google Pixel 8 is ready for production in the country.

Although Google has not yet revealed local manufacturing partners, reports claim that Compal, Google’s global manufacturing partner, has initially partnered with India’s Dixon Technologies to locally assemble the Pixel 8 models in the country. Google aims to ship over 10 million Pixel phones globally this year, building on around 10 million units to be shipped in 2023.

Google first announced plans to assemble the Pixel smartphone lineup in India in August. By manufacturing the Pixel 8 devices locally, Google is strengthening its roots in India’s booming smartphone market, trying to streamline operations, cut costs and offer more competitive pricing to Indian consumers. These developments come at a time when Google’s rival Apple has aggressively expanded local production of its flagship iPhone device in India through Foxconn and Tata Electronics. By the end of FY24, iPhones worth about $14 billion were made in India, accounting for 14 per cent of the global total.

When it comes to cutting smartphone prices, Google could also follow Apple’s lead. Just as it took Apple a few years to stabilize and reduce the prices of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 models manufactured in India, it’s likely that Pixel 8 prices will follow a similar pattern, potentially taking a comparable amount of time to become more affordable than current prices in the Indian market.

The tech giant is gearing up to take another important step. Google will be unveiling what’s new for consumers at the ‘Made by Google’ event. The Google Pixel 9 series is expected to be the highlight of the event. The series is expected to include 4 devices: Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Apart from this, Google is expected to introduce the Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Buds Pro 2.

Google is hosting this event before Apple after many years. Usually this event takes place after the Apple Fall event. But this time Google wants to stay one step ahead of its competitors by introducing AI in its smartphone. Google’s event will be held at 10.30 pm Indian time and it can be watched on its official channel.