Xiaomi is reportedly planning to increase its presence in the country by selling its devices via offline channels.
Xiaomi is reportedly eyeing offline stores to expand its base in the Indian market. Prior to the tie up with Airtel, the company has followed an “online-exclusive” model.
"If this works out fine, we'll expand the partnership to other cities and other devices," Manu Jain, head of Xiaomi in India, told Reuters, while referring to the partnership up with Airtel.
Xiaomi's unique business model has been very successful, starting a new trend of online-exclusives in the country. Despite the popularity, Xiaomi faces a tough competition from the likes of Micromax and Samsung, which have a strong presence in the offline market.
According to Manu Jain, Xiaomi may replicate the China model where the company offers devices offline. He points out about 30% of sales in China come from “offline” channels.
It's notable the company is extensively working to develop an ecosystem for the Indian market . According to recent reports, Xiaomi planning to buy 20,000 square foot R&D center in India.
Xiaomi is gearing up for the launch of its new smartphone – Mi 4 – later this month or starting next month. The company may look to add new partners to push its new devices through the offline channels.
What do you think about Xiaomi's plans to sell its devices via offline model? Let us know your views in the comments section below:
Source: Reuters
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