Why is Mi not coming up with new devices or maintaining sufficient stocks in India as compared to China or other countries?

Xiaomi started its glorious journey in India last year and today it is a matter of pride that Mi device users have turned up into die-hard Mi fans. Xiaomi has always come up with new stuff and cared for Mi India fans. The English forum has helped a lot to understand needs of Mi fans, their valuable feedback for improvement in ROM/devices and last but not the least coming up with new products. This thread will address some questions which are currently being discussed over MIUI English forum.

Question 1: Why is Mi not coming up with new devices in India as compared to China or other countries?

A plausible explanation: Xiaomi has many great plans for Mi India fans. Mi India fans are aspiring for many devices to come to India but every product needs to undergo a product certification process which is conducted by BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards). This is a mandatory and (sometimes a slow process) before any devices goes on sale in India. This is one of the prime constraints in bringing up devices in India but every attempt is being done at Xiaomi’s end to bridge the time gap and bring new devices to India. Moreover, considering the needs of Mi India fans, Mi 4i was the first device to be launched and sold in India and then to the other parts of the globe. As a Mi fan, I believe a company which has completed just one year in India can be given sometime to improve its services and add awesome gadgets to its product portfolio in India.

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Question 2: Why Mi Band and Powerbanks are not in sufficient stocks?

A plausible explanation: Mi-Band and Mi Powerbanks are one of the hottest selling accessories from Xiaomi. The number of units of Mi-Band and Mi Powerbanks which go on sale are not able to serve huge demand. This is right now being worked upon by Xiaomi (aggressively) and they are going to boost up the stock of these accessories. Being quick in flash sales and early logins during flash sales could help Mi fans to procure these accessories. Additionally, winning F-codes on forum contests is a temporary solution for this situation.  F-codes cannot be distributed freely so stay tuned for some contests on forum which are going to giveaway F-codes for these accessories.

Question 3: How is the pricing of Mi devices (e.g. Mi 4i) done?

A plausible explanation: Xiaomi has always carefully considered pricing its devices.  The devices are sold at nearly the cost of BOM (Bill of Materials) without compromising on features a device should essentially carry with it. A product that stays on the shelf for 18-24 months and it generally goes through three or four price cuts. The Mi 2 and Mi 2s is essentially the same device, for example,” Barra explained. “The Mi2/Mi2s were on sale for 26 months”. That’s important because the longer runway for devices gives Xiaomi leverage to secure better component deals with its suppliers. Moreover the price of the components of a device depreciates after some span of time and Xiaomi also brings down the price of older devices. Comparing the price of a single device sold in two different countries doesn’t make a real sense as local taxes and import duties are also needed to be considered over and above the actual cost of the device.

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