Xiaomi plans to turn millions of its smartphone users into television buyers in India, as part of its latest strategy to deepen the consumer-electronics ecosystem and drive growth beyond handsets, a senior company executive told India Today Tech in an exclusive interview. The company currently has 140 million smartphone users in India, and Xiaomi believes this and its services give it a competitive edge over peers as it looks to expand television sales.
“We have around 140 million users in smartphones who are using our Xiaomi products now. Can we get them to buy a TV, and then maybe in the future they also buy a tablet?” said Sandeep Sarma, Associate Director for Marketing and PR at Xiaomi. “We are not trying to win in the short term. We are trying to win in the long term.”
The ecosystem-led approach comes as Xiaomi re-enters the 75-inch television segment in India, a category the company believes is now better aligned with changing consumer preferences. According to Sarma, Indian buyers are steadily moving away from smaller screens and upgrading to larger displays and more premium viewing experiences.
Internal sales data shared by Xiaomi shows a clear shift from 32-inch and 43-inch televisions towards 55-inch and 65-inch models. The company has also seen a sixfold jump in QLED TV sales following a product refresh in 2025, suggesting growing demand for higher-end panels.
“When we launched a 75-inch TV earlier, it was still ahead of the curve when it came to adoption of larger screen sizes in India,” Sarma said. “Now we have two years’ worth of data showing where the market is headed. We are now confident that we have the right ingredients, and it is now the right time to bring a 75-inch once again.”
Industry data appears to back Xiaomi’s assessment. Research firm Counterpoint Research has reported steady growth in India’s smart TV shipments, along with a gradual move toward larger screen sizes. In its India TV report for Q3 2025, Counterpoint said that 43-inch models are emerging as the new entry-level standard for many buyers, while 55-inch TVs are gaining popularity due to falling prices and wider access to premium features.
Xiaomi now focusing on ecosystem over price wars
Sarma said consumer priorities in the television segment are also changing. Buyers are increasingly focusing on picture quality, sound performance, and features such as filmmaker mode, rather than simply looking for the cheapest option available. Without naming rivals, he suggested that brands offering large-screen 75-inch TVs at aggressive prices have struggled to build scale.
“Service plays a huge role,” said Gautam Batra, Associate Director, Product Marketing, Xiaomi India. “One TV going off upsets the entire family, and delivering great service adds to the cost as well.” He added that reliability becomes especially important in a category where products are typically used for five to seven years.
Xiaomi maintains that its television strategy is not driven purely by volumes but by the long-term value of building an interconnected product ecosystem. Customers who start with one Xiaomi product are more likely to purchase others over time, strengthening brand loyalty.
“Maybe you start with a smartphone and then buy other parts of the product ecosystem,” Sarma said.
On pricing, Sarma acknowledged that rising component costs could put pressure on margins, but said Xiaomi remains committed to what it calls “honest pricing.” The company typically targets margins of under 5 per cent and attempts to absorb some cost increases before passing them on to consumers.
“We don’t say we need to arrive at a price point and cut corners,” he said. “We try to make the best product and then see how to price it, so the consumer gets the benefit.”
He also touched upon Xiaomi’s nationwide on-site service model for televisions, which the company believes gives it an edge over the competition. He noted that transporting large TVs to service centres can be inconvenient for customers, and they make the process smoother. “We service the TVs on site making it easier for both us and the customer,” Sarma said.
As Xiaomi looks to expand its footprint in Indian living rooms, the company says its ecosystem-focused strategy will help retain customers across multiple product categories. “For us, it’s about acquiring consumers across different categories of products,” Sarma said.
