Google's Mobile Project in India Aims to Solve the China Problem

Sundar Pichai kicked off Google’s rapid-fire announcements at its annual conference yesterday with one that hits close to home. The Android chief, a native of India, lamented the slow adoption of smartphones there and said Google would embark on an initiative to help the country along.

Pichai said the project, called Android One, is designed to help local hardware manufacturers build better, cheaper smartphones that’ll enable more people in emerging markets to afford to participate in the information revolution. Here’s what it's really about: Google doesn’t want to lose its grip on Android like it has in China.