Big setback for Chinese brands! IT Dept raids Oppo, Xiaomi, OnePlus offices: Report

The Income Tax department has conducted raids at premises of Chinese smartphone makers Oppo, OnePlus and Xiaomi.

New Delhi: The Income Tax department has reportedly conducted raids at Chinese smartphone maker Oppo and its Chinese vendors, OnePlus and Xiaomi at several locations across the country. The raids were also conducted at several locations of third-party manufactures such as Rising Star India and Dixon. 

The current raids can be seen as a major crackdown on Chinese smartphone makers in India. According to a report by ANI, smartphone makers such as Oppo, Xiaomi and One Plus are being covered in the ongoing searches. 

So far, over two dozen locations have been covered in the searches that started on Tuesday, December 21. "Raids are ongoing in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Greater Noida, Kolkata, Guwahati, Indore and some other places," sources told ANI. 

Sources also told the wire agency that some fintech companies are also covered in this search. The head officials of the companies are also covered in the search. The report pointed out that CEOs of the firm are being interrogated by the Income Tax sleuths. 

The report also highlighted that the searches were conducted based on the intelligence inputs of huge tax evasion by these Chinese mobile firms. Chinese firms were reportedly under the radar for a long time. 

The income tax department, however, conducted the raids only after receiving concrete intelligence of tax evasion. The report quoting sources said, “it is early to reveal details about the ongoing search as the sleuths are on job but a substantial amount of digital data evidencing evasion of tax has been found and seized.” Also Read: India ordered 115 biryanis per minute, 5 million samosas in 2021: Swiggy Report

Previously, the Income Tax officials had raided Chinese government-controlled telecom vendor, ZTE, in August 2021. At that time, the searches were conducted at five places - the corporate office, the residence of the foreign director, the residence of the company secretary, the account person and the cash handler of the company. Also Read: How to change or add nominee in Provident Fund online – Step by step process explained here