Xiaomi set for Indian shores

Chinese giant Xiaomi, the smartphone maker which is headed by a man referred to as the Steve Jobs of China, is all set to enter the Indian market.The company plans to set up an office in the country, and also partner with telecom companies to sell the devices. This will also be done alongside selling the phones directly through the company's e-commerce platform.

Selling phones through online platforms such as Flipkart have become a hit in the Indian smartphone market, with companies such as Motorola using it to good success. Xiaomi's proposed entry comes on the heels of other Chinese rivals such as Gionee and Oppo, who have recently entered the Indian market.

The company has a curious business model. It sells its phones at a very low cost. But it recoups its money by offering services such as mobile applications and movies via its software, which is based on Google's Android operating system. The company will also not be making a Firefox OS or Ubuntu handset, but instead will focus on the Android smartphone market.