MC Interview | OnePlus zeroes in on R&D, quality, retail with Rs 6,000-cr investment, says India CEO Robin Liu

Robin Liu, India CEO, OnePlus

Premium smartphone maker OnePlus has lined up Rs 6,000 crore for the next three years under Project Starlight as a strategic vision for the Chinese brand’s expansion in India. Its newly appointed India CEO, Robin Liu, told Moneycontrol in an exclusive interaction that the investment will be directed towards R&D, services, and retail expansion and quality control on the manufacturing side.

The renewed emphasis on quality stems from complaints by Indian users regarding the 'green line' display issue affecting various smartphone brands. Liu said that OnePlus is dedicating resources to tackle such display-related problems. As a result, they are enhancing quality control measures, investing in advanced display technologies, and offering extended lifetime warranties to serve users better.

Liu is addressing concerns from offline Indian retailers, which have led to a decline in sales for OnePlus since the start of this year after a part of the southern market boycotted the brand. India's premium segment is growing faster than the global market, which is prompting OnePlus to prioritise India within its global strategy, the executive noted.

Here's an excerpt from the interaction...

The new investment cycle has begun, encompassing local market expansion, R&D, product development, and quality control in India.

The Rs 6,000-crore investment is an addition to the Rs 1,000 crore we had previously pumped into our Hyderabad R&D centre. A significant portion of this investment will focus on product development. We plan to incorporate new technologies and hardware while enhancing our quality control processes. To achieve this, we are adopting stricter testing standards, which require additional testing equipment and facilities. Moreover, we are expanding offline services, including service centres and experience stores, to improve customer engagement and provide better support. This investment also covers lifetime warranties and free replacement services at dedicated centres.

Under the Project Starlight commitments, devices will be made even more durable with significant advancements in display technology and the rollout of OnePlus's Green Line Worry-Free Solution.

Project Starlight funding will be distributed across multiple verticals. We'll be happy to share details, but at a later stage.

We are looking at a 50 percent increase in count by mid-2026 compared to this year. This expansion will cover Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 cities, totalling 500 cities across the country, which is a significant growth from our current footprint. This year, OnePlus successfully increased its service centres by 22 percent, including an 11 percent rise in exclusive service centres directly owned by the brand.

This transformation is being implemented step by step, depending on the facilities and capabilities of our partners. In cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Chennai, we have experience stores that combine sales and service. OnePlus is among the top brands with such integrated stores, and we plan to expand this model.

Yes, we are working to open additional stores under the new investment plan. Our priority is to enhance the in-store experience, aligning it with the premium OnePlus brand. By 2025, at least 50 percent of our experience stores will be upgraded to match our premium standards.

I took over in July and personally met with AIMRA and ORA representatives in Bangkok in August. The discussions were fruitful, and we’ve made significant progress. Before Diwali, we managed to recover some business with ORA retailers. We acknowledge the historical challenges with these partners, but everything is now on track to be resolved.

We are making our phones available in offline stores. It’s a step-by-step process. Phones may not be available in every retail shop because we also need to prepare for the relaunch of our products. We are also launching some additional support with them.

We have strong relationships with modern trade partners like Reliance, Croma, Vijay Sales, and online partners and state-wise distributors. Although there was some impact, it was not substantial.

We are shifting our strategy to focus more on the premium and higher-end segments, particularly the Rs 20,000-and-above category. OnePlus, even from our founder Pete Lau’s perspective, will never use a volume strategy to drive brand growth. We really care about the product experience.

We aim to regain market share by introducing innovative features and technologies, improving design and functionality, and fostering stronger relationships with our partners and community.

Right now, I can't comment on our foldable phone strategy.

My first priority is listening to the community and partners. OnePlus has a history of engaging its users, and I’ve spent over 1,200 hours interacting with community members directly.

Feedback from these interactions informs our long-term product and strategy planning. Also, we are addressing concerns raised by our partners to make sure we have a good relationship.

We are addressing local issues, such as connectivity gaps in India, especially as 5G grows. User feedback is being integrated into our product strategy to enhance stability and relevance.

OnePlus 13 Series will be the first smartphone to deliver a 5.5G connectivity experience in India, with an average speed enhancement of 380 percent. Additionally, we have developed a customised signal optimisation feature specifically for places such as Delhi Metro to improve connectivity and superior network performance across diverse settings.

OnePlus India has no export strategy. While Oppo handles exports at the group level, OnePlus focuses solely on the domestic market.

Our manufacturing strategy aligns with the Oppo group. We are closely observing government policies like PLI and other incentives, and while entering this ecosystem requires significant investment and expertise, we are evaluating opportunities for the future. Based on the situation, we will definitely decide on the manufacturing status at the group level.

We continue to invest in R&D to improve our ecosystem offerings. While we work closely with strategic partners like Google and Qualcomm, we also want to introduce some innovative products.

India’s middle and premium segments are growing rapidly, with stable year-on-year growth. This is why India remains our top global priority. We aim to serve this market with innovative, premium offerings that cater to evolving consumer preferences.

AI has immense potential to enhance daily life, and its integration into smartphones will undoubtedly drive sales. Our focus is on meaningful AI features that genuinely add value to users.

Yes, we are focusing on productivity-related use cases tailored to Indian users. While 50-60 percent of these features will appeal globally, we aim to localise 20-30 percent through collaborations with local partners.

We are gradually introducing AI features across segments, ensuring a seamless user experience without overwhelming devices with limited capabilities.

User security and privacy are paramount for OnePlus, especially in the context of AI. We prioritise edge computing over cloud computing and work closely with ecosystem partners like Qualcomm and Google to ensure our products are safe and secure.