Xiaomi Corp (小米) is increasing local sourcing in India, where the Chinese smartphone company seeks to regain market share it lost amid heightened regulatory scrutiny and stiff competition.
Xiaomi has contracted homegrown Optiemus Electronics Ltd to make its bluetooth neckband earphones — the first time an Indian supplier is to make an audio product for the Beijing-based tech giant, Xiaomi India president Muralikrishnan B 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 the capital New, Delhi. “We see this as a milestone, as further proof of our commitment to making in India.”
Photo: Reuters
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 percent in its shipments in the country last year, research firm Counterpoint has said.
It ranked third in the final quarter of last year, also hurt by tough competition, component shortages and an excessively wide product portfolio that confused customers and retailers.
South Korean rival Samsung Electronics Co beat Xiaomi to the top spot in the period, and has since reinforced its manufacturing push in India by locally building its fold and flip smartphones, as well as its Galaxy S23 flagship.
Xiaomi is betting on the growing demand for smart TVs, bluetooth earphones and other accessories to boost revenue in the country.
“The Xiaomi partnership reflects the steady rise of homegrown companies, which are capable of feeding not just India’s demand, but can also export to the global market,” said Nitesh Gupta, a director at Optiemus, which also counts Apple Inc’s Taiwanese supplier Wistron Corp (緯創) as a strategic partner.
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