China's Oppo Set For Filing 200 Patents On 5G, Camera, AI In India; Says Making Huge R&D Investments

CIOReviewIndia Team | Monday, 18 January 2021, 09:02 IST

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Oppo, a Chinese mobile company, has filed 200 patents, which are mostly for 5G and camera technology from the Indian research and development center (R&D). Oppo said that ‘Huge Investments’ are completed for expansion of the research facilities in the Hyderabad city.

Tasleem Arif, the vice president and head of R&D Oppo India, told a renowned media house that “40% patents are filed while the rest 60% are in the process of getting filed. This is being done by the India R&D team."

Oppo in the previous year, 2021, had invested $7 billion globally for development of core technologies in hardware, software and system alongside 5G/6G in the next three years.

Tasleem Arif said, “We have established our 5G lab in India, which was a huge investment. The global bucket is $7 billion and India is getting investments from that fund.”

Arif also stated that Oppo’s Indian R&D center is the largest located outside China. He said, “The Indian market is very critical. We are investing a lot on local resources in India."

Arif stated about Oppo’s planning of R&D expansion in Bengaluru with consideration but it wants to entirely utilize the Hyderabad facility.

Arif said, “IoT and 5G are going to be key focus areas for us in India.

There are presently 400 employees at the Hyderabad facility and Arif said that the pace of recruitment decreased in 2020 because of the pandemic, however, the company will increase the hiring activity in 2021. Arif added, "The way our business is growing, our employee base will also grow."

The R&D facility is not just helping Oppo localize the products for the Indian market, but it is helping the software and technology for overseas markets, mainly in Europe. Arif explained, "All 5G launches with European telcos were supported by the Oppo India R&D team."

Oppo is now the fifth largest brand in India by volume market share, will be launching more than six 5G smartphones in India of different prices.

Oppo also plans for bringing 5G handsets in the affordable segment, and at present Motorola is the only brand which is offering 5G smartphone in the sub-Rs 20,000 price segment.

Arif said, “We want to be among the first brands to bring the 5G technology in lower price segments. Our recently launched 5G will enable us to do that.”

Presently, Oppo is in a process for establishment of standalone camera and artificial intelligence labs at the Hyderabad center. Arif said, “We will hire new talent but our existing employees will also play a key role."

Oppo handset maker is also working with startups and IITs for extending its R&D efforts in the country.

Arif said that there are a few startups that are working very closely with Oppo, where some are in the initial stages which are nearly forming partnerships for products for the Indian market.

Oppo has a different team which oversees the startup funding. Arif said, “They identify startups, they discuss with us.”

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