(Yicai) Oct. 11 -- Vivo Communication Technology intends to take all feasible legal measures to respond to the arrest of its employee on suspicion of money laundering in India, the Chinese phonemaker told Yicai today.

India's financial crime agency yesterday arrested four executives, one of whom was working for Vivo, in a case of alleged money laundering, Reuters reported today.

Dongguan-based Vivo said that it strictly abides by Indian laws and regulations and is paying close attention to the investigation.

In July 2022, the Enforcement Directorate raided Vivo's offices and affiliates in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Maharashtra on the grounds of suspected money laundering. Vivo said at the time that it was cooperating with relevant departments to provide all the information needed by the government.

Since the beginning of last year, many Chinese mobile phone manufacturers, including Huawei Technologies and Xiaomi, have been investigated by the Indian government, Yicai learned.

Vivo entered the Indian market in 2014 and set up a factory in the Greater Noida area in northern India in 2015, according to public information. As of 2021, Vivo opened more than 650 service centers and a number of exclusive stores in more than 500 locations in India. That year, the annual production capacity of Vivo's local factory reached 60 million units.

The combined market share of four Chinese handset makers, including Vivo, Oppo, Xiaomi, and Realme, in India was 55 percent in the second quarter of this year, down from 61 percent in the first quarter, according to a report by Canalys. In the third quarter of 2021, the figure was as high as 70 percent.

Editor: Emmi Laine