Architect of Xiaomi’s India growth exits

Manu Kumar Jain, the global vice president of Xiaomi, on Monday, announced his exit from the company, after a nine-year stint with the Chinese smartphone brand.

"These last nine years were truly phenomenal and I will forever cherish the love and support I have received from fans, partners, team members, and friends. I am lucky to have experienced something so special that it makes saying this goodbye very hard," Jain said in a statement shared on social media.

“I feel confident that now is the right time, as we have strong leadership teams across the world,” he added.

Also Read | Xiaomi Global Vice President Manu Jain quits

He joined Xiaomi in 2014 and served in multiple roles. He was the smartphone brand's India region managing director for three years, from 2014 to 2017, and was subsequently appointed as the company's president for the Indian subcontinent region before moving to the global team.

He crafted a strategy based on flash sales of smartphones on e-commerce websites such as Flipkart and Amazon.com Inc.’s local unit, making Xiaomi an aspirational brand in a highly price-sensitive market. Paired with a colorful social media presence, Jain’s approach helped Xiaomi outsell South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co., the global smartphone leader, in India.

He also led Xiaomi’s expansion into brick-and-mortar stores and oversaw the broadening of its portfolio to include smart televisions and home products such as air purifiers. But the final year of his tenure in India coincided with the start of a decline in Xiaomi’s local business.

Jain abruptly departed from India in 2021 to become a global vice president for Xiaomi, based in Dubai. On Monday, Jain said this move was to help other markets with learnings from India.

His exit from the company comes as regulatory scrutiny and competitive pressure in the country intensify. Raghu Reddy, Xiaomi’s chief business officer in India, resigned last month. The company is also undergoing a broader executive overhaul after a year of disappointing sales.

Xiaomi was among the Chinese companies targeted by India’s government as relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbors chilled after the deadliest fighting in decades erupted along a disputed Himalayan border site in 2020. Indian authorities have accused Xiaomi of illegally remitting money overseas, which it has denied.

"After building a strong team and business, I wished to help other markets with our learnings. With this intention, I moved abroad —1.5 years ago (in July 2021), and subsequently joined the Xiaomi International team. I am proud of the strong India leadership team that continues to work independently and tirelessly," he further said.

"In a short span of 7 years at Xiaomi India, Manu Kumar Jain played an instrumental role in the company's success leading it to be India's most loved and trusted brand,” Xiaomi India said in its statement.

Manu Jain, who was also a co-founder of Jabong, wrote on his Twitter profile, " I will take some time off before taking up my next professional challenge".