Chinese phone makers expand India operations despite thin margins

New Delhi: Chinese smartphone contract manufacturers such as DBG and BYD are expanding or re-establishing their presence in India, despite working on lower margins compared with local producers, amid a thaw in India-China relations, industry executives said.

While Indian contract manufacturers dominate the market by a big margin, Chinese players are seeing a rise in order volumes from Chinese smartphone brands including Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo that work through original design manufacturers (ODMs) Huaqin and Longcheer.