In line with the Indian government’s “Make in India” campaign, tech giants Google and HP have unveiled plans to manufacture Chromebooks within the country. They’ve chosen the Flex Facility near Chennai for this venture, where HP has produced laptops and desktops since August 2020.
HP plans to roll out these Chromebooks in October 2023. They aim to meet the growing demand for affordable PCs in India’s schools. With ChromeOS at their core, these Chromebooks boast security and accessibility features, making them ideal for classroom environments.
In a press release, Vickram Bedi, Senior Director of Personal Systems at HP India, expressed HP’s commitment to advancing digital equity in the country. He highlighted the importance of manufacturing Chromebook laptops in India to ensure easy access for students. Bani Dhawan, Head of Education for South Asia at Google, echoed these sentiments. She emphasized Google’s ongoing efforts to support the digital transformation of education in India.
“The local production of Chromebooks with HP marks an important step in our efforts to continue supporting the digital transformation of education in India,” Bani said. “We hope this collaboration will help accelerate the adoption of technology in more schools so that every student and educator have access to the tools and skills to pursue their personal potential.”
On X (previously Twitter), Google CEO Sundar Pichai expressed his excitement about the collaboration. He tweeted, “We’re partnering with HP to manufacture Chromebooks in India – These are the first Chromebooks to be made in India and will make it easier for Indian students to have access to affordable and secure computing.”
Surge of tech production in India
India is witnessing a significant uptick in technology production. Apple, for instance, has plans to ramp up its production in the country to an impressive $40 billion over the next four to five years, marking a substantial increase from its current $7 billion. Apple is also set to begin manufacturing Airpods in India from next year.
The collaboration between Google and HP to produce Chromebooks in India is a clear indication of the country’s growing role in the global tech industry. With major companies investing in local production, India continues to establish itself as a key player in the technology sector.
