Google is reportedly preparing to appoint Sreenivasa Reddy, a manufacturing and policy veteran, as its top government affairs executive in India. This hiring move by Google is aimed at addressing legal challenges and expanding hardware assembly operations within the country, according to Bloomberg’s report.
Currently holding a senior engineering executive position at Microsoft, Reddy is expected to join Google towards the end of this year. Prior to his role at Microsoft, Reddy worked with Apple’s India regulatory team and held a senior position at Swedish telecom-gear maker Ericsson AB.
Google is actively in discussions with multiple vendors to shift the production of its Pixel smartphones to India. While the company is initially focusing on manufacturing Pixel devices within the country, it has plans to expand its production to include other hardware products such as speakers. Potential deals are being explored with companies like Lava International, Dixon Technologies, and Foxconn’s Indian subsidiary. Google believes that local production in India will help drive sales of its smartphones in the country.
In May, Indian IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw met with Google CEO Sundar Pichai at the company’s headquarters in California to discuss various issues, including India Stack and the government’s “Make in India” initiative.
It is worth noting that in 2022, Google reportedly manufactured around 9 million Pixel smartphones, with the majority being produced in China. With its increased focus on India as a manufacturing hub, the company aims to leverage the potential of the Indian market.
This development coincides with Apple’s ongoing efforts to expand its manufacturing capacity in India. The Cupertino-based smartphone manufacturer recently exported iPhones worth INR 10,000 crore from India in May 2023.
Google is also involved in legal proceedings in India, including an ongoing antitrust case. The company has recently filed an appeal in the Supreme Court challenging the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal’s ruling that upheld a penalty of INR 1,338 crore against Google.
