After Apple, Google to consider India as alternative manufacturing hub?

Google is on the lookout for securing partnerships with suppliers in India for moving some part of the production of its Pixel smartphones, in what appears to be a bid to shift away from China.

According to a Bloomberg report, Google has initiated early conversations with potential partners, including Lava International Ltd, Dixon Technologies India, and Foxconn Technology Group's Indian unit Bharat FIH.

The company is in talks with Indian firms that have secured Prime Minister Narendra Modi's production-linked financial incentives.

A few executives of Google, including operating chief of its consumer hardware arm Ana Corrales, and Maggie Wei, a senior director of global sustaining product operations, were in India recently for the partnership talks.

Last month, Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had met with Google CEO Sundar Pichai in California. The conversation reportedly revolved around the Indian government's local manufacturing drive.

Google's move to diversify beyond China is similar to the recent bid by Apple Inc. to boost its supplier base in India.