‘Project Starlight’ for India? OnePlus pledges ₹60 billion investment over the next three years in product innovation, service upgrades, and boosting customer satisfaction.
OnePlus revealed on Thursday its plan to invest up to ₹60 billion in its Indian operations over the next three years. With this, the Chinese smartphone company intends to focus on several areas, including product innovation, expanding its retail network and enhancing overall customer satisfaction.
This plan, named ‘Project Starlight,’ will see an annual investment of ₹20 billion over the next three years, totalling ₹60 billion.
As of the September 2024 quarter, Chinese smartphone brands hold a 72% share of the Indian market. Companies under BBK Electronics Group, including vivo, Oppo, realme, and OnePlus, control over 40% of the total market share in India during this period.
Prior to this, vivo, another Chinese smartphone brand, had announced an investment of ₹75 billion in 2019. However, vivo has only invested ₹35 billion so far, primarily focusing on expanding its manufacturing base in India. OnePlus, on the other hand, is aiming to improve its after-sales services.
Project Starlight aims to achieve several key goals: making OnePlus devices more durable, providing exceptional customer service, and developing features tailored specifically for Indian users.
As a part of the initiative, OnePlus plans to increase the number of its service centres by 50% by mid-2026 and upgrade half of its flagship retail stores. Although the exact number of service centres has not been disclosed, the company has increased its service centres by 22% in 2024, including an 11% increase in exclusive service centres owned directly by the brand.
To better serve its growing and diverse customer base, OnePlus is also enhancing its online support services, which include hotline support, WhatsApp assistance, and live chat.
Additionally, improved training programmes for technical staff will ensure more effective and timely support, while a transparent repair process will allow customers to track their service requests.
In terms of device durability, OnePlus is set to roll out two major advancements in display technology under the project. These include the development of the world’s first DisplayMate A++ display, which will feature improved clarity, brightness, and colour vibrancy, particularly designed to perform well in India’s harsh sunlight.
The brand will also introduce the ‘Green Line Worry-Free Solution,’ aimed at addressing the common green line issue found in mobile device screens across the industry.
Furthermore, OnePlus will focus on developing features that cater specifically to the needs of Indian users. These will include advanced local AI functionalities and solutions to improve connectivity and user experience in various settings.
The company’s India CEO Robin Liu emphasised that India is a priority market for the brand, and the project is an effort to address the challenges faced by Indian consumers in their daily lives.
