Amidst ED probe, Xiaomi India announces leadership rejig 

CHENNAI: Xiaomi India, which is being probed extensively by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) and other government agencies, on Friday announced various organizational changes "for the next phase of growth". 

Last month, the ED seized ₹5,551.27 crores from the bank accounts of the smartphone makers in connection with the 'illegal outward remittances'. The order, however, was stayed by the Karnataka high court. 

Xiaomi India maintains that it acts according to the local laws and hasn't been involved in any wrongdoing. It has also accused the government agencies of making threats of physical violence during the investigation. 

These developments also come amidst a worsening relationship between India and Chine and crackdown of Chinese tech companies in India by the central government. India has banned numerous China-origin apps in the last two years, citing national security issues. 

Xiaomi India said after 7 years in India, last year Manu Kumar Jain transitioned to a global role as Group Vice President and is currently responsible for International Strategy including International Marketing and PR.

In April this year, Jain had appeared before the ED in connection with a probe linked to the alleged contravention of foreign exchange law. Jain has been heading Xiaomi in India since 2014 and it is under his leadership that the company became the number 1 player here. 

Since the transition of Manu Jain, Xiaomi India leadership team i.e., Muralikrishnan B, Chief Operating Officer; Raghu Reddy, Chief Business Officer, and Sameer BS Rao, Chief Financial Officer have been leading the India business fairly independently and will continue to be a strong driving force behind the brand.

Alvin Tse, a Xiaomi Global founding team member, POCO founding member, and former General Manager of Xiaomi Indonesia, will assume the role of General Manager, Xiaomi India. Post his transition, Alvin will join hands with the Xiaomi India leadership team and support the company's next phase of growth. Being a British national and true global citizen, Alvin has helped Xiaomi expand successfully into many global markets. 

To further strengthen the India leadership team, Anuj Sharma, who was previously appointed as Poco India’s Country Director, will be rejoining Xiaomi India as its Chief Marketing Officer. In his role, Anuj Sharma will spearhead the overall brand and marketing strategy. He will play an instrumental role in bolstering Xiaomi's connect with consumers across the nation.

"With their guidance, Xiaomi India will continue to stay true to its core philosophy of relentlessly building amazing products with honest prices such that everyone in the world can enjoy a better lifestyle through innovative technology," said the smartphone company.