OnePlus 3T: High demand forcing OnePlus to make its new flagship in India

OnePlus is having a spectacular year. The OnePlus 3 turned out to be a stunner of a smartphone and now the new buffed up OnePlus 3T is becoming quite a seller. Reuters recently reported that the demand for the OnePlus 3 and 3T has grown so much, that the Chinese smartphone maker is planning to manufacture the OnePlus 3T in India. Vikas Agarwal, General Manager, OnePlus India told Reuters , “We actually probably have lost, I would say, maybe 30 percent of sales because of stock-outs. The focus is on trying our best to meet the demand.” While the company is not very vocal about its numbers, technology researcher IDC has ranked OnePlus as the third-biggest seller of premium phones priced $300 (Rs 20,000) and above in India right behind Samsung and Oppo. About one third of the global sales for OnePlus comes from India, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that the company wants to start manufacturing in the country. According to a OnePlus representative, the company hasn’t finalised any plans but discussions between the Chinese and Indian teams are on. OnePlus discontinued a 2015 contract manufacturing deal with Foxconn in India earlier this year to discontinue the manufacturing of the OnePlus X smartphone. There is a possibility that OnePlus will strike a new deal with the same manufacturer however, it said that it is open to other handset manufacturing companies provided they maintain quality standards. OnePlus is also planning to open a so-called experience centre in Bengaluru, where customers can come and see OnePlus smartphones. I personally think that won’t help the company much. Rather, it should start diversifying its sales channels, maybe add more online partners and move to offline sellers. Ofcourse for that it would need a good supply of units. Manufacturing in India would not only help in meeting consumer demands, it could also bring a sense of acceptance as the company will join many other international manufacturers who are adhering to the Make in India initiative.