Xiaomi Announces Second Manufacturing Unit in India, Boosts Production Capacity

Reaffirming its commitment to 'Make in India' after logging $1 billion in revenue in the country last year, Chinese smartphone-maker Xiaomi on Monday announced its second manufacturing unit in partnership with Taiwanese electronics major Foxconn in Andhra Pradesh.

With the new manufacturing plant also at Sri City, in Andhra Pradesh, more than 95 percent of Xiaomi's smartphones sold in India will be manufactured in the country.

Xiaomi will now have a combined production capacity of one phone per second during operational hours.

"We are present in 20 markets globally but India tops in terms of volume and is also the fastest growing market for us. All eyes are on this market and we will continue to do what we are doing and provide great after sales service and experience for our users," Manu Jain, Vice President and Managing Director, Xiaomi India, told IANS.

The company also launched Rs. 5,999 Redmi 4A smartphone powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor paired up 2GB of RAM.

Xiaomi entered India in July 2014 and quickly announced plans to establish its first manufacturing plant. The first plant went live in August 2015 and by March 2016, over 75 percent of its phones were being manufactured in India.

The plant has also helped create employment for more than 5,000 people from over 100 surrounding villages. More than 90 percent of the workforce employed are women.

The new phone with 5-inch-HD display features 13-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front facing camera with Beautify mode and houses 3120mAh battery.

Consumers can buy Redmi 4A starting March 23, 12pm onwards exclusively on Mi.com and Amazon.

"With this new plant and our latest Redmi 4A, we are truly excited to be playing a role in enhancing the quality of life for people in India and being a part of the fabric of the country," added Jain.