Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi said it will open 
100 stores in India this year to help consumers in the world’s third-largest smartphone market “experience” the company’s devices, but will not sell them at these stores.
Xiaomi has stuck to the strategy of offering low-priced feature-rich phones, which has made the company one of the most popular brands in the country. Xiaomi sells its devices through online retailer Flipkart.com, via the flash sale model.
According to Xiaomi, each service and experience store will be established in an area of 500 to 1,000 square feet. The company has plans to tap the cities including Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore in the first week of April. The information was shared by Manu Jain, Xiaomi’s India head, during a press event in New Delhi, during the launch of its latest Redmi 2 smartphone and Mi Pad tablet.
Although the company joined hands with Airtel for selling the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G smartphone, it is not in “active discussions with any other offline partner,” Jain said.
