Realme India CEO Michael Guo has exited the company, according to a Moneycontrol report by Danish Khan, as part of a broader restructuring that is expected to fold Realme and OnePlus more tightly into Oppo’s parent organisational structure. When Digit reached out to Realme India for comment, the company confirmed the development in a statement: “Michael Guo has stepped down from his role as the Representative Head overseeing business of India at Realme brand due to certain health reasons. The company respects his decision and extends its sincere appreciation for his valuable contributions to the business including the India territory during his tenure.”
The statement added that Chase Xu, Vice President of Realme, will also take on the role of overseeing the India market, and that Realme “remains firmly committed to the Indian market and will continue to focus on its long-term growth,” with the company stating it will “ensure business continuity and operational stability while delivering innovative and competitive products and experiences to consumers across the country.”
Guo has been a long-standing figure within the Oppo Group, having joined Realme’s founding team under Sky Li in 2018. According to his LinkedIn profile, he started in retail marketing roles across Vietnam, Thailand and Southeast Asia before joining Realme India in 2018 as Sales and GTM Director, a period during which he helped the brand cross one million units sold during Flipkart’s Big Billion Days sale and reach the number one position on the platform in 2019. He went on to manage a dual India-Europe role, then served as CEO of Realme Indonesia and Southeast Asia from late 2021 before returning to India as CEO in March 2023 following Madhav Sheth’s departure. Guo, who is based in Shenzhen had also reportedly been informally overseeing OnePlus’s India operations alongside his Realme responsibilities.
According to sources cited in the Moneycontrol report, Realme is expected to gradually transition from an independently operating smartphone brand into a product series within Oppo’s broader portfolio, similar to how Reno or Find X functions as a series under Oppo itself rather than a separate brand.
According to sources, Oppo’s longer-term plan is to manage Oppo, Realme and OnePlus as distinct product series under one operating structure rather than as three independent brands. The distribution side of the business is also being consolidated. Existing Realme distributors are reportedly being given the option to move into Oppo’s distribution network and handle both brands’ products.
Realme was originally launched as an Oppo sub-brand in 2018 to compete with Xiaomi’s Redmi lineup before being spun off as an independent entity under parent company BBK Electronics. With Guo’s exit and the reported restructuring now underway, how distinctly Realme positions itself in India compared to Oppo and OnePlus over the coming months will be worth watching closely.