Update 1 (07/22/2020 @ 01:38 AM ET): The POCO C3 has made an appearance in a listing, indicating that the Redmi 9C rebranding is in the works. Scroll to the bottom for more information. The article as published on July 17, 2020, is preserved below.

POCO appears to have gone on a rebranding spree in India, which doesn't actually come as a total surprise to anyone following the company from the POCO F1 days. The POCO F1 was loosely based on the Mi 8. Then, the new POCO X2 was nothing but a rebranded Redmi K30 4G from China. The POCO F2 Pro is also a rebranded Redmi K30 Pro 5G from China, though it has not been launched in India yet. Then there is the POCO M2 Pro, which is a close relative of the Redmi Note 9 Pro. Now, POCO appears to be gearing up for another device launch, and this too appears to be based off an existing Xiaomi product, namely the Redmi 9C.

 Xiaomi Redmi 9C XDA Forums

The Redmi 9C model number (M2006C3MI) was recently spotted when it made an appearance on TÜV Rheinland and India's BIS certification websites. But curiously, this appearance was under the POCO branding.

As stated earlier, the model number M2006C3MI belongs to the Redmi 9C that was launched in Malaysia last month. The Redmi 9C also has the device codename "angelica", while our resident tipster XDA Senior Member Deic mentions that the POCO device for India will have the "angelicain" codename. Since the Redmi 9C is already around, and since the specifications for the POCO device will largely be derived from the Redmi 9C, we have a fair idea of what to expect. Consequently, this will be the first POCO device to target the budget price segment in India.

But why does POCO rebrand Xiaomi and Redmi product if it claims to be independent from Xiaomi? In previous interviews and interactions, POCO General Manager Mr. C. Manmohan had accepted that POCO does share a centralized product R&D with Xiaomi. It is the other legs of the business, such as the go-to-market strategy and sales that are independent and differentiated from Xiaomi. POCO’s strength apparently lies in the community and its feedback, which is where the team can work and build upon. It remains to be seen how POCO will capitalize on its strengths with the POCO M2 Pro as well as this unreleased product.

Update: POCO C3 makes an appearance in certification listings with Redmi 9C model number

The POCO C3 has been spotted as it made its way through Bluetooth certifications. As noted before, the POCO C3 comes with the same model number (M2006C3MI) as the Redmi 9C.

Redmi 9C POCO C3 Bluetooth certification