December 3, 2018
The facility is touted to become the OnePlus’ biggest R&D base globally in three years
OnePlus aims to focus on connected innovations in India, driven by Artificial Intelligence
OnePlus says that India has emerged as a centre for creating globally successful products
India ranks second, globally, in manufacturing of mobile phones for global markets
OnePlus has decided to set up a global research and development (R&D) centre in India, a nation that represents around 33 per cent of the Chinese smartphone manufacturer’s revenue. The R&D centre will come up in Hyderabad, in the southern state of Telangana, as per a report by the Press Trust of India on December 3, citing Pete Lau, OnePlus chief executive. The company will also set up an experience centre to ensure improved customer interaction. Telangana state government had previously announced the decision. The facility is touted to become the OnePlus’ biggest R&D base globally in three years.
At the centre, OnePlus aims to focus on connected innovations, driven by Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things and Machine Learning, for the global market. The R&D centre is in line with the ‘Make in India’ programme that has sought to promote the nation’s manufacturing and innovation prowess to create high-margin opportunities for foreign investors. OnePlus said that India has emerged as a benchmark for creating globally successful products and a centre for product innovation. Following strong uptake, earlier this year, OnePlus had said that it was planning to move its global servicing operations to India.
The move will result in OnePlus shutting down servicing bases in the Philippines and other places and double the company’s staff strength in India, currently measured at 85. This announcement came a month after OnePlus said that it would set up its second global headquarters in India. The headquarters, servicing and R&D bases in India will help OnePlus better concentrate on developing markets outside China. The company had entered India in 2014 and has been locally manufacturing since 2015. Currently, OnePlus is the process of doubling its India service centres to 25, while setting up five ‘experience zones’.