Xiaomi has officially partnered with well-known assembler and distributor Air Link Communication Limited to bring Xiaomi phones to Pakistan. Air Link stated that it will incorporate a wholly-owned subsidiary and stated the following:
“The primary objective of this wholly-owned subsidiary would be to expand the manufacturing of certain selected brand(s) of mobile devices.”
As of now, Xiaomi’s global smartphone market has grown by 83 percent year on year and the company has shipped approximately 52.8 million smartphones, putting it ahead of Apple but still behind Samsung.
Air Link, on the other hand, stated the following:
“[It is] targeting an initial annual production of approximately 2.5 million to 3 million handsets, subject to a smooth supply chain, which is expected to add approximately $450 million in top-line revenue and have a material incremental impact on the company’s earnings per share.”
Additionally, Air Link stated that the manufacturing facility will be located in Kot Lakhpat Lahore’s Quaid-e-Azam Industrial Estate, with production scheduled to begin in January 2022.
SELECT will be the manufacturing partner, while Air Link will continue to be the distributor of Xiaomi phones in Pakistan, according to a statement.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority reports that approximately 26 companies have been granted an MDM Authorization, allowing them to manufacture mobile devices in Pakistan. Among these companies are Samsung, Nokia, Oppo, TECNO, and QMobile.