Xiaomi to launch data centre by year-end; launches Mi 4i

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi today said it plans to launch its data centre in India by later this year or by early next year as it looks to address data security concerns of Indian authorities.
In October last year, Xiaomi had announced that it will set up a local data centre in India to cater to the domestic demand here, following concerns raised by Indian Air Force and security solutions provider F-Secure about data protection of user data.
"We are still committed. We said by first half (of the year), we will have details ready. We are looking at launching it later this year or early next year," Xiaomi Vice President Hugo Barra told PTI.

Though he declined to comment on the investment details, the data centre would be one of the significant investments the company is making in India.
Barra had earlier said an infrastructure team from China was coming in to explore the options.
Investments in data centre depends on the rack space that the company sets up or leases. According to analysts, it could be in millions of dollars.

Following global concerns about security of user data hosted on servers in China, the company partnered Amazon Web Services (AWS) to migrate data of its international (non-Chinese) customers to centres in the US and Singapore.

Meanwhile, Xiaomi today unveiled its first 'Made for India' smartphone Mi 4i, priced at Rs 12,999, signifying the increasing importance of India for the Chinese firm.
Mi 4i will be available from April 30 in India, before any other market. Though the device will not be launched in mainland China, it will be sold in markets like Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia later in May.
"This is a flagship product that has drawn a lot of inspiration from India. A lot of tweaking has been done keeping in mind the Indian consumers and is made for India," Xiaomi Vice President Hugo Barra said here.

He added that the device speaks of Xiaomi's focus on the Indian market and consumers.
"We were thinking of India from the very beginning when the product was being designed," he said.