Xiaomi expands in India in-store and online

Xiaomi has announced plans to considerably expand its reach in India through new partnerships with retail outlets and the country’s leading e-commerce websites. Xiaomi products can already be bought through an exclusive partnership with Flipkart but following on from one million sales in five months, it’s looking to capitalise on the interest.

According to Manu Jain, the head of Xiaomi India, Indian customers will finally be able to buy Xiaomi devices through new partnerships signed with The Mobile Store – who have 800 outlets across the country – and Indian operator Airtel.

Xiaomi has already sold its products through one of the big three online retailers (Flipkart) but will now be selling to customers directly through the other two: Amazon India and Snapdeal. These will also be joined by Xiaomi’s own Mi.com retail store; the company announced in January that the store will launch later this year and will presumably also sell Xiaomi’s handsets alongside its accessories, TV, Go-Pro style camera and other electronics.

Lastly, Xiaomi is making things a lot easier for customers as you no longer need to pre-register for its flash sales. The system currently ensures that Xiaomi only sells stock it currently has on hand but the addition of several retailers indicates that there is a much larger allocation of handsets available in the country.

As the fastest growing smartphone market in Asia, India is fast becoming a battleground as manufacturers aim to attract the next billion customers. In China, Xiaomi controls its own online sales channels and has a much greater presence than in India, where its new focus on attracting customers suggests that Xiaomi is targeting India next in its global expansion.