In order to strengthen its presence in India, Xiaomi has decided to open its own portal in the country by the end of this year and start selling smartphones. The Chinese Handset manufacturer has decided to expand its market in India, as the country is one of the fastest growing smartphones market in the world.
The Beijing based Company currently sells its devices in India online through e-commerce giant Flipkart. The company’s website Mi.com is expected to go live in India in the latter part of 2015.
The Chinese handset maker sells all its devices through its own website in almost all countries of its operations, except Indonesia and India.
“We are currently looking for warehousing and logistics partners in India, as well as deciding on a payment mechanisms like cash on delivery. It may take anywhere between three to nine months," said Manu Jain, Xiaomi India Head in a statement given to PTI.
Xiaomi has decided to continue its association with Flipkart even after its own portal is launched in the latter part of the year.
"We have always stated that India is one of our most important markets. We have big plans for India this year... We are in process of signing the lease on a facility in Bangalore, which will be our R&D unit. This is the first one outside China," added Jain.
The Chinese handset maker had also launched Mi 4, its new handset, in India in order to expand its operations in the country.
India is considered a very important market for Xiaomi outside of China. The company has been successful in selling a million units in India since its debut in the country in July 2014.
Founded by social entrepreneur Lei Jun in 2010 in Beijing, Xiaomi is famously referred to as the ‘Apple of China’. The company even featured in Boston Consulting Group’s top fifty most innovative companies list of 2014.
India has become the fastest growing smartphone market in the Asia Pacific region by registering a 82 percent growth in its sales in the July-September quarter of 2014 over the same period in 2013. According to research firm IDC, this tremendous growth is driven by the increasing preference of smartphone consumers to upgrade their devices to a higher version or model as well as shorter refresh cycles.
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