OnePlus, Xiaomi trim 12-15% of India marketing and offline sales roles as entry-level demand cools
Smartphone majors OnePlus, Xiaomi, Realme and Transsion are cutting marketing, offline sales and admin headcount by 12-15% in India. Entry-level sales are down 8-10%, premiumisation is shifting volumes online, and salary hikes have been corrected 15-20% as brands move to leaner, distributor-led structures.
What happened
Smartphone brands OnePlus, Xiaomi, Realme and Transsion are cutting marketing, offline sales and admin roles in India by 12-15% as entry-level sales slow and
Key facts
- 15% drop in commercial/corporate roles
- 8-10% sales decline entry-level
- 60 OnePlus offline expansion employees cut
- 50+ Realme area managers shifted to distributors
- 5-15% frontline cuts
- salary hikes corrected 15-20%
Why this matters
Distressed offline distribution assets and freed-up mid-level marketing talent will hit the market over the next two quarters, opening selective M&A and acqui-hire windows for brands betting on India's premium-online pivot.