OnePlus India's Rahul Arora, Director, Sales and Affordability, on Nord's evolution, record H1 2026 growth, the direct-to-consumer bet, and why the brand says it isn't going anywhere.
For a company reportedly plotting a global retreat, OnePlus is launching an awful lot of phones.
OnePlus has had a busy year in India. Since January, the brand has pushed out a steady stream of launches, starting with the Nord 6, Nord CE 6 and Nord CE 6 Lite in the smartphone lineup, and on the IoT side, the OnePlus Pad Lite, Pad Go 2 and Pad 4 tablets alongside the Nord Buds 4 and Nord Buds 4 Pro.
Each of the three Nord phones went on to become the best-selling smartphone in its price category on Amazon.in during its respective open sale day, and the company says it closed H1 2026 with 74% year-on-year growth, as per CyberMedia Research (CMR) data. It has also expanded its after-sales footprint to over 600 service centres across more than 500 cities and is scaling up college outreach programmes aimed at over 100,000 students this year.
That momentum sits oddly alongside a separate storyline that's been building since mid-July, a string of reports, including one from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, claiming parent company Oppo is planning to wind down OnePlus as a standalone brand across most markets outside China by 2027, starting with an exit from the US and Europe and eventually extending to India, among the brand's largest markets globally.
The reports followed months of turbulence, but OnePlus India denied shutdown speculation twice earlier in the year, before then CEO Robin Liu stepped down in March, and the company began winding down its offline retail network in favour of an online-first, direct-to-consumer model, a shift some read as the first phase of a managed exit. OnePlus itself has not officially confirmed or denied the reports. But in an exclusive conversation with Gadgets360, Rahul Arora, Director, Sales and Affordability at OnePlus India, made a case that reads less like a company preparing to leave. More like one doubling down, pointing to a consistent strategy, a widening product portfolio, expanding after-sales infrastructure, and a reaffirmed commitment to its direct-to-consumer roots as evidence that OnePlus intends to stay in India.
"Even amid broader pricing pressures across the industry, OnePlus again was the top-selling smartphone brand on Amazon.in by volume, across all segments during Prime Day Sale 2026," Arora said.
Asked what gives OnePlus confidence in the increasingly crowded Rs. 25,000–50,000 segment, Arora leaned on consistency rather than reinvention. "Our confidence comes from staying consistent in a market that has continuously evolved," he said. "Over the past five years, our focus has remained unchanged: delivering meaningful innovation, strong value and a dependable ownership experience for our users."
That strategy now spans a clearly tiered portfolio, the flagship series above Rs. 50,000, Nord in the Rs. 25,000–50,000 price segment, and the newly introduced N Series below that alongside an expanding IoT lineup including the OnePlus Pad Lite, Pad Go 2, Pad 4, and the Nord Buds 4 series. Arora also pointed to more than 600 service centres across India as central to the brand's long-term case, calling the after-sales network, combined with the right products, the foundation of "our long-term journey in India."
Apart from what Arora said, quoting the CyberMedia Research (CMR) data, the brand was also the top-selling smartphone brand on Amazon.in by volume during Prime Day Sale 2026, across all segments, even as pricing pressure hit the industry broadly. OnePlus also claimed the top spot on Amazon.in by volume in the Rs. 30,000–45,000 range for H1 2026.
The Nord series remained the volume driver, with the Nord 6, Nord CE6 and Nord CE6 Lite each becoming the No. 1 best-selling smartphone in their price category on their respective open sale days on Amazon.in. Beyond phones, Arora said the tablet business grew 23% YoY in H1, again as per CMR numbers, and he adds "consumers continue to prioritise quality, performance, and long-term value" in OnePlus specifically.
On how OnePlus is getting premium devices into the hands of price-sensitive, younger buyers, Arora described affordability as core to the purchase journey rather than a seasonal promotional lever. He said a "sizeable proportion" of sales are now supported by No-Cost EMI, instant bank discounts, consumer financing, and trade-in and upgrade programmes, built in partnership with banks and financial institutions to lower monthly ownership costs. Special student programmes tied to sale periods are also part of the mix.
He extended this logic to Tier-2 and Tier-3 India, arguing that buyer behaviour there is converging with metro markets: extensive pre-purchase research, and decisions increasingly driven by long-term value, cameras, AI features and after-sales support — not specs on a sheet.
The direct-to-consumer bet — and why offline isn't being abandoned
On being asked about OnePlus' offline retreat and rival brands expanding physical retail, Arora reaffirmed the company's online-first identity "In March 2026, we spoke about our commitment to the direct-to-consumer model, which has been at the heart of OnePlus' journey and the loyal community we've built in India... Staying true to our online-first roots allows us to deepen our engagement with our core community."
But he was careful to note this isn't a full offline pullback. OnePlus still works with retail partners including Croma, Reliance, Bajaj and Vijay Sales, alongside regional large-format retailers, and operates flagship Experience Stores in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai. The after-sales network now has over 600 authorised Oppo service centres across more than 500 Indian cities. This tells you that OnePlus is going online-first without leaving customers stranded on support.
On Nord specifically, Arora acknowledged that buyer expectations have risen sharply; telephoto lenses and flagship-grade processors are now table stakes under Rs. 30,000, even as the industry contends with rising memory prices. "There's no secret that the industry has been navigating cost pressures, particularly due to rising memory prices," he said. "Even in that environment, our approach remains unchanged: continuing to bring truly useful innovations to the Nord series."
Rather than building a separate Nord sub-ecosystem, Arora said OnePlus is investing in "one connected OnePlus ecosystem" spanning phones, tablets and audio, backed by the rollout of ColorOS 17 to accelerate software updates and improve reliability across the portfolio.
On holding the attention of a famously fickle Gen Z audience, Arora's answer centred on experiences over specs. "Gen Z wants to own the moment," he said, pointing to creator-led storytelling, gaming initiatives and community programmes as the areas of strongest engagement, specifically when younger buyers "actively participate rather than simply consume content."
He gave some campaign examples, like the Campus Dominate, OnePlus' college outreach programme. Arora also cited the brand's collaboration with Terribly Tiny Tales on a micro-drama campaign for the Nord CE6 launch as an example of storytelling formats built specifically for younger, mobile-first audiences.
OnePlus can be described as a company still actively investing in India, expanding its product portfolio, growing its after-sales network, scaling student outreach, and rolling out new software platforms not the profile of a brand preparing an exit. For now, at least on the ground in India, OnePlus shows every sign of sticking around.
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