OPPO eyes 100mn 'make in India' units, flagship stores in 2020

Chinese smartphone maker OPPO aims to manufacture 100 million handsets in India by the end of 2020, a top company executive said on Tuesday, adding that the year would also see an aggressive retail push to let more people experience flagship devices.

The brand registered a growth of 92.3 per cent in Q3 (July-September period) in India, achieving a market share of 11.8 per cent, according to the IDC.

"In 2020, we would like to pace up our growth with a continued focus on 'make in India' as we expect to manufacture 100 million units by the end of next year. We will also focus on building an integrated technology system to power immersive and personalised 5G experiences," Sumit Walia, Vice President, Product and Marketing, OPPO India, told .

The key focus areas for the company would be the development of differentiated form factors and meaningful innovation for all, while delivering a premium experience to consumers.

"In line with our aim to further elevate the premium experience, we plan to open multiple premium flagship stores across the country," Walia added.

The year gone by brought extensive growth for OPPO, in terms of product portfolio expansion, strengthening of manufacturing capabilities, breakthroughs in R&D and increase in retail touchpoints.

"We successfully catered both the budget and premium smartphone segment in India through our A to K series and the recently launched Reno and Reno2 series," said Walia.

OPPO became the second-largest smartphone player in the fast-growing $300-500 segment in the country, according to an IDC report.

The company has six global institutes and four research centres and one of them is in Hyderabad. It is going to expand its presence in Hyderabad or possibly in Bengaluru to invest more in the R&D space.

As the industry is driving innovation at a breakneck pace while dramatically influencing the price-to-value ratio, OPPO expects 2020 to usher in some never-seen-before trends.

"In 2020, we can expect smartphone manufacturers to further push the bars and introduce ground-breaking camera capabilities in mid-segment in order to bring the most high-tech innovations to a larger audience," Walia told .

The year will also mark the true coming-out for high-speed 5G connectivity.

5G is expected to deliver transfer speeds that are up to 200 times faster than the current 4G networks.

"It will play a significant role in boosting faster wireless access, ultra-high-definition video streaming, Cloud gaming and more immersive Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) experiences and thus accelerating the overall growth of the smartphone industry," Walia elaborated.

One of the technology trends picking up fast is Artificial Intelligence (AI).

"In 2020, we are bound to see wider adoption of AI as smartphone providers will introduce tailored applications for specific requirements. Besides, expect AI's impact and functionality to be more visible in other areas such as retail marketing, IT operations and so on," the OPPO executive noted.

( With inputs from IANS )