Guangdong-based smartphone-maker Oppo has established its first 5G innovation laboratory in India, despite local government hostility toward Chinese tech firms following a border spat between the two countries earlier this year.

The lab, located at Oppo’s Hyderabad R&D center in the state of Telangana, will be responsible for developing core technologies for its 5G connected mobile ecosystem, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

“5G has always been an essential direction for Oppo’s technological development, and India is one of the most important markets where we value local talents highly,” said Levin Liu, head of the Oppo Research Institute.

In the third quarter, China’s top four smartphone brands in India extended their market dominance by increasing their combined share to 73.2% from 69.5% a year ago, with Oppo claiming the title as the country’s fifth-largest smartphone vendor with a 12.1% share, according to research firm Canalys.

During an industry conference, Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, said that Reliance’s Jio Platforms, India’s largest telecoms operator, would roll out 5G services in the second half of 2021, in a country where most 5G phones still operate on 4G network, TechCrunch reported earlier this month. The report described the announcement as a “surprise” considering India has not yet decided when it will hold a 5G spectrum auction.

According to Wednesday’s statement, Oppo will also set up three more laboratories in India that will focus on cameras, batteries and performance.

India aside, Oppo salivates at its prospects in the European market, aiming for a market share of at least 5% there by next year. In October, the Chinese phone-maker signed an agreement with Deutsche Telekom to sell its 5G smartphones in Germany, the Netherlands and Poland.

Contact reporter Ding Yi (yiding@caixin.com)

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