By “here” I mean the #1 position in India’s incredibly competitive smartphone space. From launching in 2014 to dethroning Samsung for the #1 position in 2019, India has rarely seen such disruptive growth. But India also hasn’t seen such disruptive players hold on to their leadership. Which is what I meant by “there”.
And that is the solid premise behind our today's newletter on Xiaomi India’s incredible new challenge - how to stay a market share leader while also increasing its share of industry profits. The tactics it used to win thus far—affordable phones with good specs, bundled apps, online sales—aren’t enough to propel it forward.
Xiaomi’s biggest bet is a move into the premium space, where four-fifths of the market is controlled by Apple, Samsung, and OnePlus.
“While [Xiaomi’s] Redmi phones practically sell themselves, when it comes to the higher categories, there is definite scepticism,” said a Xiaomi promoter who focuses on premium devices, in today’s story. “Unlike a few years back, today, eight in 10 customers come with a device in mind; and in the premium space, it’s usually OnePlus. It’s our job to convert them.” www.multimediastudio.net