OnePlus India CEO Robin Liu steps down, moves back to China

OnePlus India chief executive, Robin Liu, who joined the company in 2018, has stepped down from his role amidst an ongoing restructuring of the company's business in global markets, sources said.

A OnePlus spokesperson confirmed the development, adding that India operations will continue as usual with local strategies in place.

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"We thank Robin for his contributions to OnePlus India. He moves on to pursue his personal passions, and we wish him the very best for his future endeavours. OnePlus India operations continue with local strategy and business continuity ensured,” a OnePlus India spokesperson said in a statement to The Economic Times.

Industry executives aware of the development told ET that Liu is currently serving his notice period, with the company trying to retain him. He has already moved back to China and his last day at the compant is said to be March 31.

"It is a significant blow to the company. Liu took on the role as CEO when OnePlus was on the verge of exiting the Indian market amidst tiffs with retailers. The way he managed the turnaround and led the brand's recovery has earned him industry-wide appreciation," an industry executive said, confirming his exit.

Sources said Liu was asked to report to sister company Realme's CEO Sky Li who has been elevated within the OPPO group to look after the overall sub-brand operations. Liu and Li were considered equals managing two sub-brands earlier.

OnePlus did not respond to emails seeking comments as of publishing.

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The development comes amidst reports about the OPPO group restructuring its global business to consolidate resources and speed up product development at a time when the smartphone industry is reeling against surging cost and constrained supplies of components, leading to sharp price hikes.

OnePlus India recently took the decision to pivot back to an online-dominant sales model as a way to cut down on spends and retain margins. The brand has been losing market share consistently to rivals vivo and Samsung in the premium segment. Its market share fell to 2.4% in 2025 from 3.9% in 2024 — a 38.8% decline, the sharpest fall for any brand in 2025.