Xiaomi Mi 10 Indian launch postponed amid nationwide lockdown

Over the past month, we've seen a host of events get scrapped or delayed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic. Several companies moved their product launches online, while others postponed them. Just yesterday, Vivo India canceled its Vivo V19 launch event. Now, Xiaomi has just announced that it, too, will postpone its Mi 10 release in the country.

Xiaomi's latest Mi 10 series was slated for a March 31st release in India. The company's Global VP, Manu Kumar Jain, just Tweeted that the event has been pushed back indefinitely. The move comes after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown on March 24th.

According to a directive issued by the Prime Minister's office, only 'essential' services are allowed to operate during this period. Unfortunately for Xiaomi, smartphones don't fall under that category. Several companies such as Samsung, Vivo, and Apple have shut down their manufacturing units in the country as well. 

This is but a minor setback for Xiaomi, despite this being its first major flagship launch in India. The brand is, for the most part, associated exclusively with the low-cost and mid-range segment. It is a part of the reason why Xiaomi shied away from releasing their Mi series of phones in the country.