Xiaomi, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer that caused a huge wave in the smartphone market in India, is now in troubled waters. Two days ago, Xiaomi had been issued a legal notice from the Delhi High Court and has been ordered to stop all imports and sales in India.
Along with Xiaomi, Flipkart also was roped in—the e-commerce website, which was the official online shopping partner for Xiaomi’s handsets, has also been directed to stop all imports and sales of the handsets till further February.
Flipkart’s website also now mentions the sales been suspended till further notice. Xiaomi fans would have to wait for a while till the case settles. Till then, Xiaomi sales in India would be hugely affected, and fans, disappointed. Those who have ordered the Redmi Note handset and the Redmi 1S handsets from this week’s sales should be getting their devices as scheduled. The next weeks sales will not be held till further notice.
Xiaomi Vice President, Global, Hugo Barra, also mentioned the same on the official Xiaomi Facebook page. The post reads as below.
The court has asked the e-commerce website to furnish all documents and details for the handsets on sale and already sold.
The case was filed against Xiaomi by Ericsson, regarding patent infringing. Ericsson approached the High Court claiming that Xiaomi has infringed its patents, and the Delhi High Court banning orders were released after Xiaomi failed to reply to Ericsson’s notice.
In an emailed response to Deccan Chronicle, Xiaomi’s India head Manu Jain said that:
“Regarding the court injunction: we haven't received an official notice from the Delhi High Court yet. However, our legal team is currently evaluating the situation based on the information we have.
India is a very important market for Xiaomi and we will respond promptly as needed and in full compliance with Indian laws. Moreover, we are open to working with Ericsson to resolve this matter amicably”
Xiaomi, entered the Indian smartphone market in July 2014, and has been doing well in the country, making India its second largest consumer after China. The incident is likely to have a major impact on Xiaomi’s overall sales and revenue.
According to media sources, Xiaomi’s case would take as long as two months as the hearing of the case is scheduled for February 5. Xiaomi fans would have to wait for as long as two months (at least) till Xiaomi and Flipkart has been given a green flag to resume sales and services in India.
