Authorities in India seized $725 million from smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi on Saturday after an investigation found that the Chinese company broke the country's foreign exchange laws by making illegal money transfers abroad.
The Enforcement Directorate, India's financial investigation agency, tweeted that it had seized the amount from Xiaomi's local unit. The move comes after an investigation was launched by the federal agency in February over concerns of illegal remittances, local media reported.
The agency said the smartphone maker had transferred $725 million to "three foreign based entities” under the guise of royalty payments, according to a statement quoted by the Press Trust of India (PTI). Earlier this month, the agency had also questioned Xiaomi's global vice president, Manu Kumar Jain, at the company's regional office in the southern city of Bengaluru, PTI reported.
The smartphone company said it complied with local laws and added that its "royalty payments and statements" were "legit and truthful." It said it is committed to working closely with the government to clarify any misunderstandings.
"These royalty payments that Xiaomi India made were for in-licensed technologies and IPs used in our Indian version products. It is a legitimate commercial arrangement for Xiaomi India to make such royalty payments," the statement said.
The firm's India office was raided in December in a separate investigation over alleged income tax evasion. Other Chinese smartphone markers including Huawei also had their Indian offices searched at the time.
Two years ago, India banned over 100 Chinese-owned apps as tensions between the countries soared over border clashes. In June 2020, Indian and Chinese troops fought with clubs, stones and fists along a disputed section of their border, leaving 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead.
Since February last year, both countries have withdrawn troops from some sites, but they still maintain a presence. In March, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi traveled to New Delhi to discuss expediting the disengagement of troops and the possibility of de-escalating the situation.
