Xiaomi eyes 140 million phone users to boost big-screen TV sales in India
Xiaomi is betting on its huge smartphone user base in India to boost TV sales as it shifts focus from price-based competition to building a long-term consumer electronics ecosystem.
As part of its latest strategy to strengthen the consumer-electronics ecosystem and boost growth beyond handsets, Xiaomi plans to convert millions of its smartphone users in India into television buyers, a senior company official 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 about 140 million smartphone users now who are using our Xiaomi products. Can we get them to buy a TV, and then maybe in the future they can buy a tablet as well?” said Sandeep Sarma, associate director of marketing and PR at Xiaomi. “We’re not trying to win in the short term. We’re trying to win in the long term.”
The ecosystem-led approach comes as Xiaomi re-enters the 75-inch television segment in India, with the company believing that the category now better aligns with the changing preferences of consumers. According to Sarma, Indian buyers are increasingly 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 seen a six-fold jump in QLED TV sales following a product refresh in 2025, indicating growing demand for high-end panels.
“Even when we first launched the 75-inch TV, it was at the forefront of adoption of larger screen sizes in India,” Sarma said. “We now have two years of data that shows where the market is headed. We now believe we have the right ingredients, and now is the right time to once again bring out the 75-inch.”
Industry data appears to support Xiaomi’s assessment. Research firm Counterpoint Research has reported steady growth in India’s smart TV shipments as well as a gradual move towards larger screen sizes. In its India TV report for Q3 2025, Counterpoint said 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 is now focusing on ecosystem instead of price war
Sarma said that consumer preferences in the television sector are also changing. Buyers are focusing on features like picture quality, sound performance and filmmaker mode rather than just 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 big role,” said Gautam Batra, associate director, product marketing, Xiaomi India. “A TV outage upsets the entire family, and providing great service also increases costs.” He said reliability becomes especially important in a category where products are typically used for five to seven years.
Xiaomi says its television strategy is not driven solely by volume, but by the long-term value of building an interconnected product ecosystem. Customers who start with one Xiaomi product are more likely to purchase another product over time, strengthening brand loyalty.
“Maybe you start with smartphones 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 is committed to “honest pricing.” The company typically aims for margins of less than 5 percent and tries to absorb some of the cost increases before passing it on to consumers.
“We’re not saying we need to get to a price point and cut back,” he said. “We try to make the best product and then figure out how to price it in a way that benefits the consumer.”
He also discussed Xiaomi’s nationwide on-site service model for televisions, which the company believes gives it a competitive edge. He said that carrying large TVs to service centers can be inconvenient for customers, and they make the process easier. “We offer TV service 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-centric strategy will help retain customers across multiple product categories. “For us, it is about getting consumers across different categories of products,” Sarma said.
