Xiaomi’s India President, Muralikrishnan B, has resigned to focus on academic research, the company confirmed on Monday. He will remain involved with the company as an independent Strategic Advisor after his departure at the end of the year.
Muralikrishnan, who joined Chinese smart devices firm in 2018 and became president in 2022, will now pursue an Executive Doctorate in Management, specialising in Consumer Behaviour on Technology Platforms.
His tenure at Xiaomi included overseeing the company’s strategic initiatives and public affairs efforts, particularly during a period of scrutiny from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which seized over ₹5,551 crore from the company in 2022 for alleged foreign exchange violations.
During his leadership, Xiaomi was a dominant force in India’s smartphone market but faced competition to retain the top spot.
According to Counterpoint Research, Xiaomi briefly regained its number one position in India in the second quarter of 2024 but was subsequently overtaken by Vivo.
In the third quarter of 2024, Xiaomi held a 16.7% share by volume and 8.7% by value in the Indian smartphone market.
The company has recently appointed Sudhin Mathur, former managing director of Motorola Mobility in India, as Chief Operating Officer (COO) to strengthen its leadership team.
Mathur is expected to guide key functions, with support from other senior leaders, including CFO Sameer Rao, CPO Varun Madan, and CMO Anuj Sharma, as Xiaomi continues its focus on expanding its technological offerings in India.
