Xiaomi to gradually ramp up its offline presence by 30 percent: Report

The company, which forayed into the Indian market by selling its handsets online only, has been gradually ramping up its offline presence through partners. [caption id=“attachment_4189261” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  The Redmi Y1. Image: tech2/Rehan Hooda.[/caption] “Offline is growing at a fast pace for us…In July- August (this year), about 20 percent of our sales was coming through offline channels. We hope this will increase to 30 percent by end of the year or early next year,” Xiaomi India Head Manu Kumar Jain told reporters here. Xiaomi sells its products through offline channels like large format stores, multi-brand outlets and its own Mi Homes. “Apart from a few thousand retail points, we are also well on track with the expansion of our Mi Homes. We had said we will have 100 of those in 2 years and nine are already in place,” Jain said. Xiaomi, which competes with the likes of Samsung, Lenovo, Vivo, and Oppo in India, had earlier in the year said it expects to clock revenues in excess of USD 2 billion (Rs 12,867 crore) from its India operations this year, doubling its topline over 2016. Xiaomi today launched a new smartphone series with two devices, Redmi Y1 and Redmi Y1 Lite, aimed at selfie enthusiasts. The devices will compete with those from the stables of Oppo and vivo and are priced at Rs 6,999 onwards. Besides, it has also unveiled the global version of its operating system **MIUI 9** that includes new features designed for India. “Redmi Y1 is our first phone in India which boasts a Selfie-light. This, paired with a 16 MP front facing camera, ensures selfies come out bright and clear even in challenging conditions,” Jain said. **Redmi Y1 Lite** features 5.5-inch display, 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage (expandable upto 128GB), 13MP rear and 5MP front camera, and 3,080mAh battery. It is priced at Rs 6,999. The Redmi Y1 features 13MP rear and 16MP front camera. The 3GB RAM/32GB storage variant is priced at Rs 8,999, while 4GB/64GB variant will be available for Rs 10,999. The devices will be available from November 8 across Amazon.in, Mi.com, Mi Home stores, and Xiaomis offline partners.