'India at heart of our innovation strategy': OnePlus India CEO Robin Liu talks Project Starlight and Green Line Worry-Free Solution

As India’s smartphone market rapidly matures, consumer expectations are evolving faster than ever. At the forefront of innovation, OnePlus is deepening its commitment to the Indian consumer through its ambitious ‘Project Starlight’. With Rs 2000 crore investment planned each year until 2027, the company aims to significantly enhance product durability, localised features, and customer satisfaction. In an exclusive interaction with Business Today, Robin Liu, CEO of OnePlus India, shares insights into the brand’s vision for the future, how it’s pioneering customer-first solutions like the Green-Line Worry-Free warranty, and why the Indian market is central to its global strategy.
 
PD: What is the core vision behind Project Starlight, and why is OnePlus betting big on India? How will Project Starlight enhance durability, customer service, and India-specific features?

Robin Liu: Since the beginning of our operations in India, we have been driven by our vision of “Never Settle,” and this statement has encouraged us to bring in the latest technology for our OnePlus community.
 
We understand that India is a burgeoning smartphone market with users actively seeking a brand that continuously introduces innovative features and extends a seamless after-sales service. And for OnePlus, addressing the needs of our Indian community has been and will always remain a focus. At OnePlus, we will continue to strive towards serving our Indian users with innovative, premium offerings that cater to evolving consumer preferences. This led to the idea behind the launch of Project Starlight in 2024, the INR 2000 Cr investment every year till 2027 focusing on making even more durable devices, offering exceptional customer service, and developing India-specific features.

Under Project Starlight, we also announced an industry-first initiative, our Green Line Worry-Free Solution, where OnePlus users get a lifetime warranty on all our smartphones where display issues like the green line issue are covered.

A significant portion of this investment is also dedicated to tailoring products for the Indian community. The OnePlus 13 Series, for instance, is India's first phone to offer 5.5G connectivity, boasting a speed enhancement of up to 380%. Additionally, we've introduced a customised signal optimisation feature for Delhi Metro, ensuring smooth connectivity for commuters. We are also investing in enhancing our R&D efforts to develop products with improved durability, environmental resistance, battery longevity, and optimised cooling solutions for seamless performance even in high temperatures.

With these continued investments, we aim to build greater confidence in the quality and reliability of our products and services while addressing the unique challenges faced by our community members.
 
PD: Can you share insights on the scale of OnePlus’ investment in India—R&D, local manufacturing, and job creation?

Robin Liu: A number of OnePlus products that are being used by our Indian community proudly carry the "Make In India" label. Our local R&D team has been instrumental in driving this innovation, developing cutting-edge features like OxygenOS, advanced camera capabilities, and optimised 5G performance. Moreover, we've been actively engaging with our Indian users through community co-creation initiatives, incorporating their valuable feedback to shape product design and user experience.
Our commitment to "Make in India" began with the OnePlus 10 Pro, the first OnePlus phone manufactured in India, and we have continued this legacy with our latest launch, the OnePlus 13 series. Building on this momentum, Project Starlight will enable us to expand our R&D capabilities at our Hyderabad centre. This will allow us to develop innovative solutions tailored to the Indian audience, focusing on enhancing durability, improving battery life, and addressing specific challenges like green-line issues.
 
PD: Can you elaborate on the “Green-Line Worry-Free” solution and how it benefits users?

Robin Liu: We at OnePlus pride ourselves on introducing solutions that cater to our users’ needs at its core. We recently introduced the industry-first “Green-Line Worry-Free” solution becoming the first to address the industry-wide green-line challenge. Our solution is pillared on three aspects - delivering unmatched technology with the integration of the Enhanced Edge Bonding Layer, which utilises superior PVX edge-sealing materials in all OnePlus AMOLED displays. The second ensures rigorous quality control via 180+ rigorous tests done by the OnePlus Quality Engineering Lab that enable optimum quality control. A standout double 85 test is also conducted where displays are subjected to temperatures of 85°C and 85% humidity for extended periods for multiple times to ensure longevity of our products. The third aspect remains lifetime warranty for all our smartphone models where our community members can enjoy hassle-free OnePlus experience. Through our “Green-Line Worry-Free” solution, we reinforce our dedication towards unmatched user experience, thus ensuring continued consumer trust in our OnePlus community.
 
PD: What can we expect from OnePlus in terms of the broader product portfolio in India?

Robin Liu: Innovative technology that seamlessly aids in elevating daily life operations of our OnePlus community members is important for us. We are increasingly integrating AI in our devices to make it more intuitive by understanding customer usage habits, while also bringing forth state-of-the-art solutions tailored for Indian markets and red cable club.

We started 2025 with the launch of OnePlus 13 series that seamlessly blends cutting edge innovation, AI integration, smooth performance coupled with attractive design. It is the first smartphone to integrate IP68 + IP69 rating making it an ideal companion for users who demand exceptional resilience and superior durability.

Our upcoming launches will further strengthen our OnePlus ecosystem that will continue to reaffirm our innovation first strategy and dominance in the Indian market.
 
PD: OnePlus is expanding its service centres in India. What’s the target, and how will it improve customer experience?

Robin Liu: A core part of Project Starlight is to also elevate our after-sales solutions. To address plausible customer concerns, we have increased our service centres by 22% in 2024 and also aim to increase our total network by 50% with a focus on Tier-II and Tier-III cities.

Our select flagship stores will offer servicing capabilities starting 2025. These services will include complimentary battery, display, and system health checks, as well as loaner devices. We've also upgraded our contact centre, introducing diverse channels such as hotlines, WhatsApp, and live chat for swift responses. A direct feedback channel will be launched soon, ensuring our community's voices are heard.

Understanding the customer’s distress and need for effective solutions, our technical support team also undergoes rigorous training to provide prompt, transparent, and reliable solutions for concerns. This multi-touch point after-sales strategy is designed to deliver seamless support to our community. Our vision is to build a comprehensive service network spanning 28 states and over 400 cities within the next 3-5 years, bringing us closer to our community.