OnePlus checks into Hyderabad with its first R&D facility in India

OnePlus announced its plans for its R&D facility in the city. The company announced its plans to invest INR 1000 crore into its R&D facility in Hyderabad over the next 3 years. The facility will not only play a critical role in the development of Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning in OnePlus products but will also drive innovations that are centric and relevant to the company’s Indian community. Moreover, it will also leverage the experienced and ingenious talent from Hyderabad, one of the biggest IT hubs in the country.

OnePlus weighed in several critical factors before zeroing in on Hyderabad for the R&D centre. Apart from having some of the most passionate OnePlus community members, the city is also one of the most active start-up zones in the country, especially in the space of emerging technologies. It offers a sizeable pool of talent that the global smartphone maker sees great value in deploying and honing to suit the needs of its signature premium consumer experience

“In three years, we plan to grow the new R&D centre in Hyderabad into our biggest globally. We plan to re-focus our R&D efforts on a large scale and drive innovations in India for the global product, especially on the software side with special emphasis on Artificial Intelligence, 5G and IoT,” said Pete Lau, Founder and CEO, OnePlus while discussing the company’s plans in India.

Former Minister of Telangana, Mr. K. T. Rama Rao and Mr. Jayesh Ranjan IAS, Principal Secretary for IT and Industries today inaugurated the OnePlus' first R&D centre in India at the Vamsiram's IT Park at the Wipro Circle in Nanakramguda.

Mr. K. T. Rama Rao commented on the occasion saying, "OnePlus setting up its first R&D centre in India in Hyderabad and planning to grow this into its biggest globally is a testimony to the fact that Hyderabad has emerged as a preferred destination for leading companies working on cutting edge technologies. Hyderabad's share of the office/ IT space absorption in India has increased from about 8 to 10% four years ago to 27% in the first half of 2019. I thank OnePlus for being part of the Hyderabad's growth story."

Mr. Jayesh Ranjan IAS was quoted saying, "It is satisfying to see that Hyderabad has emerged on top after OnePlus has evaluated several factors and considered several cities globally. I congratulate OnePlus on setting up this beautiful R&D facility at the Vamsiram's Sohini Tech Park near the Wipro Junction. Several infrastructural upgradations are being taken up around this junction connecting Metro and Elevated BRTS that will tremendously ease the commute to work."

The OnePlus R&D centre will house three labs - camera lab, communications and networking labs and automation labs that will focus heavily on camera development, 5G testing, software with focus on AI and performance testing. The facility overall will focus on 5 areas including Network, Global Carrier Customization, OxygenOS native apps, global product development, software innovation and finally, testing. With regards to software and network, the centre will specifically work on the development of India-specific OxygenOS features including OnePlus applications design and development and drive the 5G enablement for regions like India, EU and UK.

Hyderabad is undoubtedly one of the fastest-growing markets for OnePlus. In line with the growing user base, the company is in the process of expanding its offline presence in the region. In fact, the local community can soon expect access to their very own OnePlus Experience Store. The brand currently has an Exclusive Service Centre in the city and is also present in retail outlets through its exclusive retail partnerships.

OnePlus, as a brand, is built on its strength of product and community connect. It believes in constant engagement with the OnePlus community, which is gradually getting people to realise and relate to its vision of building a socially engaged and user-first technology company. The brand breathes and lives by its philosophy of Never Settle. The company respects diversity in opinions, primarily brought about by its culturally diverse workforce; of which each one is an enthusiast who loves what they do.

India is not only one of the biggest markets for OnePlus but is also the benchmark for creating globally successful products. With a growth rate of more than 100%, the country is well on its way to becoming a centre for product innovation. It has already upgraded to local production of PCBs as well as other smartphone components and will continue to look at further plans as the government announces the next wave of localization.

The R&D facility will play a crucial role as OnePlus charts its roadmap towards adopting the Indian market as its homeground. OnePlus is committed to achieving long-term growth in India, and with the commencement of operations at the new R&D centre, OnePlus seeks to integrate & delve deeper into the ‘Make in India’ strategy. The centre will also contribute to nurturing and giving opportunities to fresh talent with the company’s ongoing campus hiring program at a number of universities including the IIT Delhi and IIT Mumbai initiated last year.

Introducing Ramagopala Reddy Palukuri, Vice President and R&D Head, OnePlus India
Ramagopala joined OnePlus India as Vice President, R&D Head in October 2018. He comes to OnePlus with 18+ years of work experience across organizations such as Samsung and Smartron in software/hardware development on various consumer electronic devices such as mobiles, computing. wearables and IoT devices with different platforms. He possesses specialized knowledge of product development cycles that cover the process from conceptualization to commercialization, with supplementary expertise in production and supply chain. In addition to this knowledge, he has proven his capabilities in the design and development of best-in-class mobile solutions in the areas of media management, streaming & broadcasting & security protocols. His overall expertise in Product Management and Program Management are evidenced by his established track record in building and leading teams across the organizations he has worked at, consistently delivering high-quality products and services. During his stints at Samsung and Smartron, he was able to hone his interpersonal and communications skills over the course of developing material for and communicating with Chief Executive level stakeholders. These experiences also strengthened his ability to work effectively within a large team and helped showcase his organizational skills. Ramagopala has obtained an M.Tech degree in Computer Software Engineering from IIT Kharagpur and a B.Tech degree in Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering from Acharya Nagarjun University.