Your phone and home are already talking to each other. What next? Ask Xiaomi India. The brand is trying to dive deeper into the ecosystem play.
“The ecosystem has become an increasingly important part of Xiaomi’s growth story in India. We are one of the few consumer technology companies that have built scale across multiple categories under a unified Human × Car × Home vision, allowing us to deliver connected experiences beyond just smartphones,” says Sudhin Mathur, COO, Xiaomi India.
Mathur, a veteran in the technology space and a strong advocate of innovation, more like a panjandrum of the tech space, joined Xiaomi India in 2024 and has since been working to unlock new avenues of growth for the brand.
Sudhin Mathur, COO, Xiaomi India
With the year underway, Mathur has a well-researched roadmap for 2026. Here's what he told the newspaper.
On what the year has to offer
Xiaomi has begun the year on a confident and deliberate note, building on the strategic recalibration initiated last year — a shift that started yielding tangible results from Q3 onwards. Carrying that momentum forward, the company aimed to open 2026 with clarity, signalling both its long-term commitment to India and confidence in its strategic direction.
The launch of Redmi Note 15 and Redmi Pad 2 Pro forms part of this broader approach. The emphasis is on delivering products with strong local relevance, flagship-level experiences and sustained value, rather than chasing short-term gains. Early market response has been encouraging, suggesting that the recalibrated strategy is resonating with consumers.
Redmi Note 15 has delivered close to 160 per cent growth over its predecessor since launch, pointing to strong consumer acceptance. Redmi Pad 2 Pro has also witnessed higher offline traction as more consumers experience the device across retail channels.
Together, these launches lay the groundwork for Xiaomi’s plans through 2026, with a sharper focus on innovation-led experiences, stronger portfolio alignment and deeper consumer trust in India.
On the mid-segment strategy
Xiaomi is building momentum this year, with Redmi reinforcing its presence in the mid-segment. Consumer expectations, however, are evolving. Purchase decisions are no longer driven solely by specifications, but increasingly by overall quality, relevance and the longevity of the ownership experience.
The mid-range remains India’s largest upgrade segment, and Redmi continues to be widely regarded as a trusted option offering balanced performance, reliability and value. The early response to Redmi Note 15 reflects this shift and provides a solid base for upcoming launches.
The company’s focus is on delivering lasting value — making flagship-level innovation accessible across price bands while introducing meaningful upgrades that enhance everyday usability and future readiness.
From a portfolio perspective, this means refining laddering to create a clearer and more intuitive progression across segments, ensuring that the user experience improves consistently at every level. Redmi Note 15 anchors the mid-range, while the Redmi Note 15 Pro Series aims to elevate the offering further without compromising accessibility.
On Redmi’s long-term roadmap
Xiaomi Group’s three-brand architecture — Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO — enables a structured balance between innovation and affordability. In India, each brand plays a distinct role, with Redmi remaining central to the mid-segment strategy.
As the market matures, Redmi’s positioning is gradually evolving from being perceived purely as a value brand to one associated with longevity and reliability. With consumers holding on to devices for longer, expectations around durability, software support and overall ownership experience have risen significantly.
In response, Xiaomi is reinforcing areas that matter most over time — extended software and security updates, dependable performance, improved battery health, camera consistency, brighter displays and durable builds suited to demanding conditions. These are deliberate decisions aimed at fostering confidence throughout the lifecycle of the device.
Building on the traction of Redmi Note 15, the upcoming Note 15 Pro Series represents a natural progression, strengthening the mid-range ladder while remaining aligned with the broader growth strategy.
On the ecosystem strategy
The ecosystem has become increasingly central to Xiaomi’s growth narrative in India. Under its Human × Car × Home vision, the company has built scale across smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, wearables and AIoT products.
While smartphones continue to anchor the business, 2025 saw stronger adoption across non-smartphone categories, which now contribute approximately 12–15 per cent of India revenues, expanding Xiaomi’s footprint within households.
From Q3 onwards, performance began reflecting the recalibrated approach. Xiaomi returned to the top three in smartphones and tablets, emerged as the leading power bank brand, and recorded notable category growth — including sixfold expansion in QLED TVs and steady 20 per cent year-on-year growth in wearables.
In the near term, the priority is deeper integration through HyperOS, enabling more seamless interaction across devices. Localisation remains a key pillar, with over 90 per cent of the portfolio now manufactured in India, alongside continued improvements in service quality and turnaround efficiency.
On what lies ahead
As Xiaomi completes 11 years in India, the company marks its evolution from a smartphone-led brand to a multi-category technology ecosystem built on scale, trust and long-term commitment.
The past year centred on strengthening fundamentals, refining portfolio choices and rebuilding momentum. That groundwork now shapes the direction for 2026.
The strategy focuses on sharper ecosystem integration, disciplined portfolio structuring and delivering value through differentiated experiences. Beyond smartphones, Xiaomi is accelerating growth in tablets, wearables and smart home products such as smart TVs, robot vacuum cleaners and air purifiers.
With India playing a pivotal role in its next phase of growth, Xiaomi is positioning itself for sustained expansion under its Human × Car × Home vision, supported by deeper localisation and a continued emphasis on long-term ownership value.