Attendees queue to join Xiaomi's launch of the Mi 4i smartphone in India. (Photo : Getty Images)
Chinese mobile maker Xiaomi has set a record by selling more than 1 million smartphones in India from Oct. 1 to 18, as other Chinese smartphone brands also got a market share in India's competitive market.
A statement sent by Xiaomi to Global Times on Wednesday, Oct. 19, said that the company is now the third largest smartphone vendor in top 30 cities of India, citing IDC statistics.
"India has become our largest market outside of the Chinese mainland . . . we will be able to capture the largest market share in India within three to five years," the statement read.
Reports released in September and October by the Economic Times said that Vivo is also raising its monthly production and has started selling online as it is planning to expand its business in India.
In terms of shipment, Chinese smartphone brands account for more than 25 percent of the Indian market, up from 19 percent of the previous year, data released in August by cctime.com showed.
"As China's mobile phone market is somewhat saturated, it's a right choice that domestic brands have started to explore the gigantic Indian market, which is full of opportunities as many people in India still do not own a smartphone. Our brands are looking into the future of India's mobile phone market," Liu Dingding, a tech expert, told the Global Times.
Smartphone shipments in India reached about 100 million in May, most of them coming from 19 Chinese phone makers, according to a report by Huffington Post India in May.
The Chinese manufacturers included brands such as Oppo, Huawein, Meizu, Lenovo, Vivo and Xiaomi and other unpopular brands, the report said.
But Chinese smartphone makers also face competition from other international mobile phone giants such as Apple, which got a 12 percent share in the Indian market in terms of shipment, and also from Indian phone manufacturers such as Micromax, Lava and other brands.
In terms of quality and services, there is a big difference between Chinese mobile brands and Indian brands, according to an employee who refused to be named.
"Most Indian mobile phone brands are cheap, of low quality and have a very low profit margin. Therefore, when Chinese brands entered the Indian market, they exerted a great pressure on those local players," the employee noted.
The Chinese mobile phone makers are also trying different strategies to gain foothold in India.
"They have different strategies, with Xiaomi focusing on online sales development and Vivo expanding offline sales. But competition will always exist," the employee, who works for a local Indian brand, said.
But although Chinese mobile phones are cheaper than brands like Apple, they are of high quality, according to Liu, the tech expert.
Many Chinese brands are also working with Indian agencies and communications corporations to broaden their sales and market share.
"I believe that sooner or later, a Chinese mobile phone maker will become the largest smart phone seller in India," Liu noted.
