A closer look at Xiaomi's expanding ambitions

Detailed summary

What Xiaomi’s factories reveal about its future MANILA, Philippines – It is interesting to arrive at a company hub best known for making smartphones and find cars waiting to greet…

MANILA, Philippines – It is interesting to arrive at a company hub best known for making smartphones and find cars waiting to greet you.

At Xiaomi’s global headquarters in Beijing, the latest smartphones and other devices occupy prominent display spaces, while electric vehicles point to the company’s growth beyond its original identity.

Outside, autumn trees line the walkways, and employees move between buildings in an environment that feels more like a university than the HQ of a global tech giant. That’s why they call it The Xiaomi Campus.

It is a relatively short introduction to a much larger operation. But even from the first few stops, Xiaomi wants visitors to see more than the products it sells.

The company has been expanding what it makes and, more importantly, what it can develop independently.

In 2019, Xiaomi entered the Fortune Global 500 at No. 468, becoming the youngest company to appear on the list that year. Seven years later, it ranked No. 232, its highest position since its debut. Behind that progress are years of investment in engineering, technology, and manufacturing capabilities that now underpin a broader business.

During a recent familiarization trip to China, Inquirer Tech visited Xiaomi’s headquarters and several of its facilities in Beijing. While smartphones remain central to its business, the company’s efforts to develop technologies that could support a wider range of products were equally apparent.

Founded in 2010, Xiaomi built its early reputation on well-designed smartphones at accessible prices. The proposition helped it establish a following in a competitive market, including the Philippines, where its devices have become familiar to consumers.

But the technology industry rarely rewards companies for standing still. Xiaomi’s response has involved sustained investment in research and development of its own heavily patented processes and machinery.

Opening of the article, excerpted from Philippine Daily Inquirer. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.