In a strategic move to bolster the Make in India initiative and meet the rising demand for cost-effective computing devices, renowned PC and printer manufacturer HP has unveiled a collaborative venture with Google to manufacture Chromebooks within India.
The announcement came on Thursday, highlighting the forthcoming production of these devices at the Flex Facility near Chennai, a facility that has been instrumental in producing a diverse range of laptops and desktops under the HP brand since August 2020.
The commencement of HP Chromebook production is slated for October 2, focusing on meeting the surging demand for economical personal computers, particularly in the educational sector within India. The collaboration between HP and Google is anticipated to provide Indian students with easy access to affordable PCs, aligning with the nation’s Make in India initiative.
Vickram Bedi, Senior Director-Personal Systems, HP India, emphasized the significance of this initiative and stated, “Manufacturing Chromebook laptops in India will allow Indian students to get easy access to affordable PCs. By further expanding our manufacturing operations, we continue to support the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the government.”
HP is the leader in global Chromebook market with 26.7 percent market share during the second quarter of 2023, according to Canalys data.
The global Chromebook market experienced minor growth in Q2 2023 after seven consecutive quarters of decline. HP secured the top spot as the leading Chromebook vendor, gaining over 10 percent market share as shipments grew 69 percent from last year.
Chromebooks, recognized as leading devices in K-12 education, have been instrumental in aiding over 50 million students and teachers globally. These devices, equipped with ChromeOS, offer built-in accessibility and security features that deepen classroom engagement and prioritize user data safety.
Bani Dhawan, Head of Education-South Asia, Google, highlighted the importance of local production of Chromebooks and stated, “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 manufacturing efforts in India began to ramp up in December 2021, encompassing a diverse array of laptops including HP EliteBooks, HP ProBooks, and HP G8 series notebooks. Additionally, HP expanded its locally manufactured product portfolio by incorporating various models of commercial desktops, including desktop mini towers (MT), mini desktops (DM), small form factor (SFF) desktops, and a range of All-in-One PCs. This expansive range caters to a wide spectrum of customer segments, offering options with both Intel and AMD processors.
The collaboration between HP and Google, to manufacture Chromebooks in India, is anticipated to make significant strides in enhancing accessibility and affordability of computing devices, particularly benefiting the education sector and furthering the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
