OnePlus Invests ₹6,000 Crore in India: Boosting Innovation, AI, and Customer Service

OnePlus lines up ₹6,000 cr to boost innovations in India

New Delhi: Chinese smartphone brand OnePlus plans to invest ₹2,000 crore every year in its India operations for the next three years as part of 'Project Starlight', a move to accelerate innovations in products and services. The company on Thursday said the investment in 2025, 2026 and 2027 will focus on three key areas--improving durability in devices, bolstering after-sales services, and developing India-specific features. "Project Starlight is a demonstration of our dedication to going beyond the surface to tackle the challenges faced by our users in their daily lives," said Robin Liu, CEO of OnePlus India. "From the intense heat and humidity to heavy usage, high screen on-time, and longer replacement cycles of OnePlus users, we recognise the need for our devices and services to serve our users reliably for years to come. India remains a top priority for us globally, and we continue to strive to earn trust..." The development comes after the company faced a backlash from OnePlus users over green lines appearing on the phone display. The company is addressing the matter as a part of the project. The resultant backlash, along with a tiff with retailers over delayed payouts, saw the company's shipments tumble in recent quarters. The brand now sits at the 10th spot in shipment rankings, as of Q3 2024, according to IDC. The company's shipments declined by 39.3% year-on-year in the September quarter. "It involves OnePlus adding a new protective layer to all AMOLED displays, undertaking even more rigorous and extreme hardware testing minimising risks to the lowest levels possible, and extending its new lifetime warranty programme to all OnePlus devices against green line on display issues," the company said. OnePlus aims to expand its service centres by 50% by the middle of 2026, alongside improving training programmes for technicians and making the repair process more transparent. It said it has increased its service centres by 22%, including an 11% rise in exclusive service centres directly owned by the brand in 2024. It is also offering after-sales services online through WhatsApp and a hotline number. As part of the investment, the company is also committing to developing local solutions leveraging generative artificial intelligence (AI). "The company has identified critical areas of focus that resonate with the Indian customers, including meaningful and advanced local AI functionalities, and a consistent demand for stable, high-speed connectivity," it said. The first instance of this is coming in its upcoming flagship OnePlus 13, promising connectivity speed boost of over 380%, OnePlus said.

OnePlus commits Rs 6,000 cr to India with Project Starlight

OnePlus is investing ₹6,000 crore (about $727 million USD) in India by 2027 under 'Project Starlight' to enhance device durability, improve after-sales services, and develop India-specific features. This includes addressing the green line display issue with a new protective layer and extended warranty, expanding service centers, and leveraging AI for local solutions like faster connectivity in the upcoming OnePlus 13.Chinese smartphone brand OnePlus is pumping in Rs 2,000 crore annually in India over three years as part of its Project Starlight, a strategic move to accelerate innovations in products and services in India. The Project Starlight investment - totalling Rs 6,000 crore till 2027 - focuses on three key areas - improving durability in devices, bolstering after sales services, and developing India-specific features, the company announced. "The Project Starlight is a demonstration to our dedication to going beyond the surface to tackle the challenges faced by our users in their daily lives. From the intense heat and humidity to heavy usage, high screen on-time, and longer replacement cycles of OnePlus users, we recognize the need for our devices and services to serve our users reliably for years to come. India remains a top priority for us globally, and we continue to strive to earn the trust and affection of our Indian community," said Robin Liu, CEO of OnePlus India. The development comes after OnePlus faced a backlash from customers over permanent green lines appearing on smartphone displays, including OnePlus'. The company is addressing that with a solution which is part of the project. "It involves OnePlus adding a new protective layer to all AMOLED displays, undertaking even more rigorous and extreme hardware testing minimizing risks to the lowest levels possible, and extending its new lifetime warranty program to all OnePlus devices against green line on display issues," the company said. OnePlus aims to expand its service centers by 50% by mid-2026, alongside improving training programs for technicians and making the repair process more transparent. It said it has increased its service centers by 22%, including an 11% rise in exclusive service centers directly owned by the brand in 2024. It is also now offering after-sales services online through WhatsApp, and a hotline. As part of the investment, the company is also committing to developing local solutions leveraging generative AI. "The company has identified critical areas of focus that resonate with the Indian customers, including meaningful and advanced local AI functionalities, and a consistent demand for stable, high-speed connectivity," it said. The first instance of this is coming in its upcoming flagship OnePlus 13 promising connectivity speed boost of over 380%, OnePlus said.