Boycott Chinese products campaign: The brand name outside Mi-stores has been replaced by ‘Made in India’ banners written in white on a saffron backdrop, similar to the original colour scheme of the brand logo.
Chinese tech firm Xiaomi has put up huge banners screaming ‘Made in India’ outside its Mi-Store showrooms in Kolkata, aimed apparently at countering the growing chorus to boycott Chinese products.
The company, which claims to be India’s leading smartphone brand, was founded in 2010 by Chinese billionaire Lei Jun along with six others.
The brand name outside Mi-stores have been replaced by ‘Made in India’ banners written in white on a saffron backdrop, similar to the original colour scheme of the brand logo.
On Thursday, Xiaomi India MD Manu Kumar Jain tweeted, “Super proud to share that majority of our TVs are Made in India! We employ thousands of team members across our India factories.”
The company claims it has 31.2 per cent market share in India. Its latest smartphone was sold off within seconds of its third online flash sale on Wednesday.
In Kolkata, customers shared mixed feelings about the move. Some supported the call to boycott Chinese products in the aftermaths of the Galwan Valley face-off where 20 Indian soldiers were killed, while others termed it impractical, saying a majority of electrical goods have components manufactured in China.
“As long as the product is manufactured completely in India, it is fine. But if parts are brought from China and then assemble here and the product still write ‘Made in India’, then it’s misleading the customer,” said Malavika, a consumer.