OnePlus Global, the Indian CEO resigns: closure or reorganization?

The Indian tech landscape is facing a moment of profound transformation with the resignation of Robin Liu, CEO of OnePlus India, who will leave his post on March 31. Having joined the company in 2018, Liu has been a key figure in consolidating the brand in one of the most competitive markets in the world.

His decision to return to China and to leave the brand’s leadership comes at a time of major changes for the OPPO group, which is implementing a strategic reorganization of its resources globally.

Leadership change at OnePlus India: Robin Liu steps down amid a global restructuring

Robin Liu’s departure is not an isolated event, but it sits within a market context particularly complex for OnePlus. Over the past year, the brand has suffered a significant contraction of its market share in the premium segment in India, dropping from 3.9% in 2024 to 2.4% in 2025.

According to media reports, this would be the sharpest decline recorded by any brand in the sector in the last year, at the expense of historic competitors such as Samsung and Vivo. In response, the company has recently decided to change its distribution strategy, returning to a predominantly online sales model to reduce expenses associated with physical presence in the Indian territory.

Furthermore, the issues of the recent period are evident to all: the increase in component costs is creating not a few headaches for any tech company.

In this critical landscape, OPPO would have opted for a new internal hierarchical structure. According to sources close to the company, after the return of Realme to OPPO, OnePlus would have been placed under the control of Sky Li (CEO of Realme), promoted to oversee the group’s sub-brand operations.

This move marks an important shift from the past, when OnePlus and Realme leaders were considered on par. In short, OnePlus and Realme would have been integrated under a single sub-brand managed by Sky Li. Those who follow the Chinese tech scene know well what this means: the end of independence and the return under the parent company’s wing to reduce overhead costs. The companies would now share research and development, service centers, and supply chains.

Will there be consequences for other markets?

The departure of OnePlus India’s CEO is not a rumor but a fact: however, recently there have been discussions on several occasions of a total stop for the company (Global). For now there are no signs that point to problems for Europe, given that what has happened so far remains limited to the Indian territory.

India is a fundamental market for various Chinese manufacturers (and not only): OPPO’s management has decided to scale back OnePlus’s presence precisely to preserve the business within the country.

Yogesh Brar (a very well-known Indian insider) had posted an article regarding the closure in some selected markets, looking with concern also at the United States, United Kingdom and Europe. However, the post on X has been deleted, so it remains to be seen how things will evolve at the international level.