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.

— Filed Sat, 23 May, 2026, 10:34 IST · Source ET Retail · Updated

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 premiumisation shifts demand to online channels, prompting leaner structures and tighter pay.

Why this matters

Follows OnePlus's premium push with the Pad 4 at ₹59,999 and Nord CE 6 at ₹29,999. The layoffs confirm a structural shift: chasing premium online buyers while shrinking the entry-tier offline machinery built for India's mass market.

Retail-company signals steady at 1000 in last 90 days, with cost restructuring emerging as a dominant sub-theme.