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On a Monday in November, Manu Kumar Jain was seen taking selfies with a group of traders at Hoskote. Jain, the global vice-president of Xiaomi and managing director of the Chinese firm’s Indian subsidiary, was celebrating a small but crucial feat: the on-boarding of 30-odd retailers for Xiaomi’s mission to transform its retail reach in the hinterlands.
Hoskote in south-western Karnataka is among thousands of inconspicuous towns that dot the country’s rural landscape. With a population of less than 60,000, its inhabitants mostly depend on agriculture for livelihood. Though the smartphone wave has reached the town, it still features low
