Xiaomi split Redmi as a separate brand in order to strength its marketing presence in different segments. The company introduced the new Redmi brand in Beijing, China on January 10th 2019, as well as the first model under the separate brand: Redmi Note 7. It is a price competitive model and would generate meaningful volumes for Xiaomi in 2019.
We viewed the brand split as a wise move too, but the company need to carefully manage internal competition and cannibalization risk.