Alphabet, the parent company of Google, is in advanced discussions with Foxconn to produce Pixel smartphones in Tamil Nadu, an industrial state that will soon serve as a base for the US tech giant’s drone manufacturing operations.
The state government officials said that Google representatives would be in Chennai shortly to meet with MK Stalin, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu and examine the possibility of producing Google Pixels close to Chennai.
Google’s decision to manufacture drones in the state will significantly strengthen Tamil Nadu’s overall investment environment. It will be done by Alphabet Arm Wing. Through its subsidiary Wing LLC, the US tech giant plans to begin manufacturing drones in the state in addition to smartphones. As to the concept, Wing LLC intends to establish a manufacturing plant in Tamil Nadu for its drones. It follows a recent meeting in the US between a group of officials headed by the state’s Industries Minister, TRB Rajaa and Google’s top executives. Wing LLC’s drone production could help India’s ambitions to become a hub for drone exports.
Industry projections indicate that India’s drone market will grow from $2.71 billion in 2022 to $13 billion by 2030. Although neither Google nor Foxconn have confirmed the situation, the US behemoth already had plans in place to begin producing Pixel 8 smartphones in India and it made the announcement back in October 2023.
The move is noteworthy since major global players like Apple and Samsung are also expanding their manufacturing presence in India. Google’s announcement coincides with Tamil Nadu’s transformation into India’s center for electronics. The southern state now has the greatest total of electronics goods exports in the financial year ended March 31, 2024 (FY24), ahead of Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. Between FY23 and FY24, the state’s exports increased by 78%, from $5.37 billion to $9.56 billion.