HP, Google to make Chromebooks in India
HP, in partnership with Google, is set to manufacture Chromebook devices in India starting from October 2. These laptops will be produced at HP's Flex Facility near Chennai, where the company has been manufacturing laptops and desktops since August 2020. "Manufacturing Chromebook laptops in India will allow Indian students to get easy access to affordable PCs," said Vickram Bedi, Senior Director (personal systems) at HP India.
This partnership aligns with Make in India and PLI schemes
This initiative aligns with the government's Make in India program, and HP is one of the applicants under the government's Rs. 17,000 crore production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for IT hardware. This partnership between HP and Google aims to bolster the digital education ecosystem in India.
Google's support for digital transformation of education
Bani Dhawan, Head of Education (South Asia) at Google, explained that Google has been working closely with the local education ecosystem to support their transition to digital-first learning experiences. She said, "The local production of Chromebooks with HP marks an important step in our efforts to continue supporting the digital transformation of education in India."
HP's expansion of manufacturing operations in India
Since 2020, HP has expanded its manufacturing activities in India. In December 2021, the company started producing laptops within the country, including HP EliteBooks, HP ProBooks, and HP G8 series notebooks. HP has also broadened its manufacturing to include various models of commercial desktops, such as desktop mini towers (MT), mini desktops (DM), small form factor (SFF) desktops, and a diverse selection of All-in-One PCs, catering to a wide customer base.
