Google, HP Join Forces To Produce Affordable Chromebooks In India

This story was first published on the Benzinga India portal.

Global tech heavyweights HP Inc. HP and Alphabet Inc's GOOGL GOOG Google have announced their plan to partner up and produce low-cost Chromebooks in India to enhance digital education accessibility.

HP, a leading force in the personal computer market, is joining hands with Alphabet's Google to manufacture Chromebooks within India. The production is slated to commence on Oct. 2 at the Flex Facility located near Chennai. These Chromebooks, which function on Google’s operating system, are set to be priced between $240 and $360, making them affordable personal computers for the masses.

The aim of this production endeavor is to meet the demand from the education sector, predominantly government schools, and to challenge the nine-inch tablet market with its 11-inch Chromebooks. Despite local production, the Chromebooks' pricing will remain competitive, according to the report.

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Vickram Bedi, HP India’s senior director–personal systems, stated that this initiative aligns with HP’s dedication to promoting digital equality and supporting the Government’s Make in India campaign.

Google perceives this collaboration as a stepping stone to accelerate the digital transformation of India's education sector. Bani Dhawan, head of education–South Asia at Google, expressed optimism that this partnership will enable more students to acquire affordable personal computers.

This collaboration represents a part of HP’s ongoing plan to expand its manufacturing operations in India, where the company already produces a wide range of laptops and desktops.

The significance of this initiative lies in the companies' intent to make digital learning more accessible to students nationwide. Moreover, this step aligns with the Indian government’s push for local manufacturing under the “Make in India” campaign.

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