Oppo reportedly begins merger of Realme operations, cuts job roles in Indian teams
Oppo has started integrating Realme’s India operations into its structure, marking the beginning of job cuts and suggesting a major push to streamline costs amid increasing competition.
Oppo has reportedly started restructuring its Indian business by bringing Realme operations closer under its management, a move that has already led to job cuts in select teams. These changes point to a major shift underway within the company as it looks to simplify operations and manage costs in a market where smartphone competition has become increasingly intense.
People familiar with the developments told Money Control that a restructuring has begun with internal teams supporting sales and service functions. Employees in these regions have been informed of the change in reporting structures, while some roles are being phased out as Oppo works to remove duplication between the two brands. According to the report, this process is not a one-time process and is expected to expand to additional departments over time.
The decision to merge operations follows the global strategy of repositioning Realme as a sub-brand rather than running it as a fully independent organization. The report adds that while this approach has already been implemented in China, its implementation in India is expected to be slower and more measured due to the ongoing legal cases involving Oppo.
“In China, this has already been done. In India, it is a little different right now because there are ongoing legal issues involving Oppo. So, they may not move aggressively here, but it will happen gradually and in all actions,” a person close to the matter told Moneycontrol, requesting anonymity.
Even with a cautious approach, structural changes are already visible. Realme’s sales teams have been asked to adjust to the revised setup, while employees working in sales support and service network roles have been asked to step down by April 30. This is something that India Today Tech independently verified and found to be true. Going forward, Oppo’s existing marketing and service infrastructure is expected to handle the bulk of the combined operations.
This change will be a symbolic comeback for Realme. The brand was introduced as an Oppo-backed label in 2018 and initially carried “By Oppo” branding on its first smartphones. Later that year, Realme emerged as a separate brand with its own teams and strategy. Nearly eight years later, the brand is now being integrated back into Oppo’s operational structure.
Neither Oppo nor Realme have issued a public response to India Today Tech’s queries regarding the restructuring. We will update the article once we receive any statement from any of these tech companies.
A familiar strategy inside BBK’s playbook
India’s integration suggests a pattern seen before in BBK’s smartphone ecosystem. In 2021, OnePlus also merged with Oppo in India, so many operational functions were normalized. BBK Electronics, which owned brands like Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus and Realme, was deregistered in 2023, but continues to influence the way these brands operate.
According to people tracking the changes, the reason behind the merger is largely financial. “For BBK, both brands operate under the same parent company. The logic is simple – if the parent company is one, why run completely separate operations? Instead of separating sub-brands as independent companies, keep them within the same umbrella structure, aligning operations and ideally aligning the P&L. This way operating costs are optimized,” the report said, citing a source.
In India, the focus of the practice is expected to remain on backend and operational roles, especially in employee-heavy areas such as after-sales service and offline delivery. Product development work between Oppo and Realme is already closely linked, limiting the need for major changes on the R&D side.
“The brand identity and front-end marketing will remain separate, but backend resources for customization will be shared. The structure is expected to reflect the Vivo model. For example, iQOO was never set up as a separate entity and will continue to operate within Vivo,” the source said.
