Xiaomi plans to invest in Indian tech startups, set to launch Mi4 on January 28

Xiaomi’s Hugo Barra said today that the Chinese company plans to invest in Indian tech startups and overseas media content. It comes as the smartphone brand looks to build its empire with smart gadgets and appliances.

“One area that we are also looking to make some investments in is startups in India. India is already the largest market for us outside of mainland China,” said Hugo Barra, vice president of Xiaomi’s global division, in an interview with Reuters.

The Beijing-based company is now bringing more of its gadgets, like the Mi Band fitness tracker, to new markets, which makes it more imperative for the company to work with hardware or software partners.

“Where we really want to make significant investments is in content, particularly in the Chinese market to start with but beyond that in other markets as well,” Barra said.

In November, Xiaomi said it will invest $1 billion into online TV content in its home market.

New phone for India

Yesterday, during the launch of its new flagship phones, the Mi Note and Mi Note Pro, Xiaomi vowed to expand its India operations, brushing aside the legal challenges it faced after telecoms equipment maker Ericsson filed a complaint alleging infringement of intellectual property rights. That led to brief sales ban that was later overturned, but Xiaomi’s legal tussle in India is still unresolved.

Barra also confirmed that the Mi4 will be launched in India later this month – on January 28. The company mainly sells its phones in India through ecommerce site Flipkart.

Xiaomi has sold a million smartphones in the first five months in India.

Our review of the Xiaomi Mi4 is here.

See: Lei Jun dishes on Xiaomi’s “open and inclusive” smart home strategy