'Ecosystem has matured, people have developed trust': Ashwini Vaishnaw on Google's Make In India smartphones initiative

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that Google’s initiative to manufacture its Pixel smartphone is a reflection of how the entire ecosystem in the country has now matured and people have developed trust.

Vaishnaw’s statement came hours after Google announced plans to make its Pixel smartphones in India, giving a big boost to the country’s ambitions of becoming a global manufacturing hub.

Vaishnaw told ANI “Just about nine years back electronics manufacturing was negligible in the country. Mobile manufacturing was practically not there, almost 98 per cent of mobile phones that we used were imported. In a short time span of nine years, our PM Modi’s vision of ‘Digital India’, ‘Make in India’ and ‘Startup India’ this bouquet of programs has established India as a trusted value chain partner.”

Expressing his happiness about Google’s announcement, Vaishnaw said, “Practically every big electronics manufacturer is setting up its design in India.“He further emphasized that domestic manufacturers in the country are also scaling up.

“This is a very big achievement because getting the big manufacturers to set up their base in India means the entire ecosystem has now matured. People have developed their trust. Our own domestic manufacturers are scaling up,” Vaishnaw said.

“I can share with you that one factory near Delhi, which is going to start soon, that factory will have 20,000 people working in a single factory, that is the kind of change that is happening today,” the Electronics and Information Technology minister said.

Alphabet Inc announced at the concluding day today of the ‘Google for India 2023’, the ninth edition of its annual India-specific event it will begin manufacturing its Pixel smartphones in India.

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The devices, starting with Pixel 8, are expected to begin rolling out in markets in 2014, Rick Osterloh, senior vice president of devices and services, Google, said at the event.

Vaishnaw emphasised that semiconductors have been a very important part of the strategy launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015.“Well, semiconductor forms a very, very important part of the entire strategy that the Prime Minister launched in 2015.

The strategy has multiple components– one of the components is making India which is where the electronics manufacturing, and designing, all these points take place. Tensor–which is the heart and brain of Google Pixel phones has been designing in India,” Vaishnaw said.

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google today underlined Google’s commitment to India’s digital growth and innovation. In a post on X shared during the Google for India 2023 event, Pichai said Google was committed to be a trusted partner in India’s digital growth.

With inputs from ANI.