Xiaomi India, which is now under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate and faces legal issues, has announced new leadership positions.
Xiaomi India, which is now being investigated and prosecuted by the Enforcement Directorate, has announced new leadership positions in the company. Alvin Tse, a member of the Xiaomi Global founding team and the former General Manager of Xiaomi Indonesia, will take over as General Manager of Xiaomi India. Xiaomi has also rehired Anuj Sharma as its Chief Marketing Officer. Until now, Sharma has been in charge of the Poco sub-brand.
Meanwhile, Manu Kumar Jain, who formerly served as the Managing Director of Xiaomi India, has been named Group Vice President (Global) and will be responsible for International Strategy and International Marketing and PR, according to a press release from the business.
It’s interesting to note that this is the first time the company has publicly stated that Jain has stepped down from his position in India. When the ED incident became public, Jain’s India Managing Director position was surreptitiously deleted from his Twitter page. The Redmi Note 11 series was the most recent Xiaomi launch at which Jain was present. He has been absent from most subsequent events, including the launch of the Redmi Note 11 Pro series and the Xiaomi 12 Pro.
While Jain has moved on to an international job, other vital members of his leadership team will continue in their current positions, according to Xiaomi’s press release. Muralikrishnan B will be the Chief Operating Officer, Raghu Reddy will be the Chief Business Officer, and Sameer BS Rao will be the Chief Financial Officer. According to the statement, they “have been operating the India company pretty effectively and will continue to be a significant driving force behind the brand,” according to the statement.
For now, Alvin, the new India General Manager, is a founding member of POCO, a Xiaomi sub-brand that runs autonomously. “Alvin will join hands with the Xiaomi India leadership team and help the company’s next phase of growth after his transfer,” the company stated. Alvin is a Stanford graduate and a British resident.
Sharma has also been rehired as the company’s Chief Marketing Officer, which is interesting. According to the company, he will now “spearhead the whole brand and marketing strategy.” Sharma was the Country Director for POCO India at the time. Previously, he worked at Motorola. Between 2018 to 2020, he served as Xiaomi’s CMO.
Xiaomi’s legal difficulties in India are still ongoing. According to reports, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seized assets worth over Rs 5,551 crore from the company last month. This was allegedly due to a breach of foreign currency laws. Manu Kumar Jain, the company’s global vice-president, had been questioned by the ED. According to the ED, Xiaomi has transmitted substantial sums of money to affiliated companies in the name of royalties without really using their services.
Xiaomi, for one, claims that all payments are legal and legitimate. “All of our royalty payments and bank statements appear to be lawful and correct to us.” Xiaomi India paid these royalties for in-licensed technology and IPs used in our Indian edition products. Making such royalty payments is a legal business arrangement for Xiaomi India. However, we are dedicated to working collaboratively with government officials to clear up any misunderstandings,” a Xiaomi spokeswoman stated.