OnePlus, the Chinese smartphone maker which has been killing flagships ever since the ‘One’ model, is now planning to invest more money in India than any other market. The reason behind this is the growth that the company has witnessed recently in the Indian market.
According to OnePlus CEO Pete Lau, India will become the largest market for the company by the year 2017. Currently, China is the biggest market for the company. He told TOI:
In 2017, we expect India to surpass China as our biggest market. It is not easy to capture all the markets at the same time. China is a big market but we would like to focus on one market and capture that country and create a strong platform for us to grow in other countries later on.
Many smartphone makers have started manufacturing units in India, thanks to the government’s “Make In India” initiative. Following other companies, OnePlus also said that it will soon open a manufacturing plant in the country. The location for the same will be finalized soon. However, it has undertaken a pilot manufacturing facility in Andhra Pradesh.
Recently, LeEco, another China-based smartphone maker had announced that it has joined Make in India initiative. For this, the company has tied up with contract manufacturer Compal Electronics to start manufacturing in India. The two companies have made a joint investment of $5 million to set up a plant in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
While OnePlus is selling sells its smartphones and mobile accessories online, it has also unveiled a brick-and-mortar experience centre in Bengaluru.
According to IDC, OnePlus is among the top four premium smartphone brands in India. This year, the company has launched only one smartphone — OnePlus 3, which is its flagship smartphone. Lau said that they plan to focus only on one device instead of compromising quality by making mid-range phones.
OnePlus 3 was launched earlier this year, and is priced at Rs. 28,000 in India. Till now, the company was relying on the invite-only system to sell its devices but now, it has made its devices open for all to purchase. It is available exclusively via Amazon in India.
