China’s Xiaomi seeks to claw back lost India market share with more local production: ‘we see this as a milestone’
- Allegations of money laundering and increased state scrutiny contributed to a decline of more than 20 per cent in Xiaomi’s India shipments last year
- The Chinese smartphone giant is now betting on growing demand for smart TVs, Bluetooth earphones and other accessories to boost revenue in the country
Xiaomi contracted home-grown Optiemus Electronics to make its Bluetooth neckband earphones – the first time an Indian supplier will make an audio product for the Beijing-based tech giant, Muralikrishnan B, president of Xiaomi India, said in an interview.
“This marks our entry into a whole new set of categories,” Muralikrishnan said late last week at an Optiemus factory in the Noida suburb of Indian capital New Delhi. “We see this as a milestone, as further proof of our commitment to making in India.”
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The rise of Chinese smartphones
Xiaomi led India’s smartphone market for years, but allegations of money laundering and increased state scrutiny contributed to a decline of more than 20 per cent in its shipments in the country last year, according to research firm Counterpoint. It ranked third in the last quarter of 2022, also hurt by tough competition, component shortages and an excessively wide product portfolio that confused customers and retailers.
Xiaomi is now betting on the growing demand for smart TVs, Bluetooth earphones and other accessories to boost revenue in the country.
Previously, Xiaomi and some of its Chinese rivals were hesitant to make earphones and smartwatches in India as it was easier to import these products from China to a market where demand was still budding. But as Indian state agencies’ crackdown on Chinese firms intensified, they’ve rushed to explore manufacturing alliances with local companies, possibly to win Delhi’s favour.