There is constant online chatter about the future of Xiaomi in India because of regulatory challenges but that is not stopping the brand from preparing a strong strategy for 2026. “Localisation accelerated meaningfully in 2025, with over 90 per cent of our portfolio now made in India. Beyond smartphones and TVs, we introduced locally manufactured tablets and smartwatches, reinforcing our long-term commitment to the market,” says Sudhin Mathur, COO, Xiaomi India, in a freewheeling chat with this newspaper. Here’s more from him.
Xiaomi is expected to offer a sharper portfolio discipline. What missteps did you correct in 2025 and what are the lessons from 2025?
More than correction, 2025 was a year of recalibration for Xiaomi India, defined by sharper focus, disciplined execution, and a renewed emphasis on core fundamentals. We strengthened our focus on moving from volume to a value-driven strategy.
Our strength as Xiaomi Group, led by three distinct brands, Xiaomi, Redmi, and POCO, continued to power innovation, accessibility, and performance across consumer segments. While smartphones remained the anchor, the year marked a clear shift toward ecosystem adoption. Tablets, smart TVs, and wearables expanded household presence
We also advanced our premiumisation strategy across categories, guided by a clear belief that industry-forward experiences should not be limited to a single price point or product line. Localisation accelerated meaningfully in 2025, with over 90 per cent of our portfolio now made in India. Beyond smartphones and TVs, we introduced locally manufactured tablets and smartwatches, reinforcing our long-term commitment to the market.
At the same time, we strengthened the ownership journey through service excellence, emerging as one of the top players in service quality and speed. This stability shapes our outlook for 2026 with greater confidence.
Xiaomi has its eye on the flagship segment. How is that shaping up? Are Indian consumers willing to pay more for Xiaomi today than they were two years ago?
The year has clearly shown a shift in the mindset of Indian consumers who are today, far more open to paying for design, camera excellence, software quality, and long-term reliability. These are the areas where Xiaomi has invested heavily.
Our flagship strategy is not about chasing price highs but about delivering credible premium experiences, starting with platforms like Redmi Note and extending upwards. The growing traction in the ₹22K–₹35K segment shows that consumer confidence in Xiaomi has strengthened significantly compared to two years ago.
Xiaomi often wins on spec sheets. In 2025, where did you win on experience, not hardware? How do you convince buyers to spend more on Xiaomi when rivals increasingly sell emotion, not specs?
Xiaomi strengthened its India strategy in 2025 with a sharper portfolio direction and disciplined segmentation. Our value proposition is guided by offering experience over specs. As competitors increasingly sell emotion, our belief is that emotion is built through reliability and ownership confidence. Our strategy across categories, guided by a clear belief that industry-forward experiences should not be limited to a single price point or product line. The Xiaomi 15 series with Leica cameras set the tone, followed by flagship-level innovation in tablets with nano-texture displays and smart TVs with QLED and larger screen formats. Alongside sharper portfolio choices and improved execution, performance gains became visible.
One clear example is imaging. The Leica partnership isn’t about megapixels; it’s about quality — colour science, tone, and reliability for Indian consumers. Users notice more natural skin tones, faster capture, and consistent output across scenarios, especially in low light and portrait photography.
Another major area was software experience through HyperOS. HyperOS focused on smoother transitions, faster app launches, better memory management, and tighter ecosystem continuity.
What meaningful AI features will Indian users actually notice in 2026?
In 2026, AI will work quietly in the background to make devices more reliable, efficient, and personally relevant.
Xiaomi’s Human x Car x Home vision positions the smartphone as a central control hub that connects smart homes, intelligent services, and future mobility. This experience is powered by Xiaomi HyperAI and HyperOS, which together enable natural interactions, smarter automation, and a unified software experience across devices, with a strong focus on security and privacy.
Xiaomi continues to anticipate industry shifts, from democratising 5G to embedding AI across cameras, software, and service workflows. Ongoing global investments in foundational innovation, including MiMo, our in-house reasoning model, ensure these capabilities remain practical and meaningful for Indian users.