Lava to enter UK market in early 2026, aims to take Made-in-India smartphones global

Starting with the UK

The United Kingdom will be Lava’s first major overseas market under its renewed global expansion strategy. While the company has previously sold devices in regions such as the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, it had scaled back operations there to sharpen its focus on India.

Lava currently sells smartphones domestically and exports to neighbouring markets like Nepal and Bangladesh. In Nepal, it already has around 25–30% market share, and in Bangladesh, it at about 10 percent share.

The company has an annual production capacity of 42 million units, spanning both assembly and surface-mount technology (SMT) lines. Lava is set to launch the Agni 4 smartphone in the mid-range segment on November 20, marking one of its key releases for the fourth quarter of 2025.

“The first step was to build products that can compete with global brands,” Raina said. “People now compare our products with international brands and realise that we’re no less in that segment.”

Explaining why the company chose the UK, Raina said Europe was an untapped region for Lava and offered consumers who “appreciate the kind of work” the brand has done in India.

“UK is the first market we’re starting with. We’ll see how it goes and then decide how to take it forward,” he said.

He added that the move also holds symbolic value for the brand.

“When Gandhiji came, he was called a half-naked fakir. Our answer to that is — a fully loaded Indian,” Raina said. “It’s like a fully loaded Indian now getting unleashed.”

Focus on mid-range smartphones

For its UK debut, Lava will target the sub-Rs 30,000 (around £300) price segment — the same category driving its domestic growth.

"Every market has segments. We don’t need to enter the flagship category. We will operate in the segment where enough people already buy. Principally, for the next few years, we’ll focus on the sub-Rs 30,000 price point," Raina said.

The company claims to be growing around 88–90 percent year-on-year in smartphones.

“In the under-Rs 10,000 category, we’re among the fastest-growing brands. In the Rs 10,000–15,000 segment, we’re the second fastest. Overall, we’re now the third fastest-growing smartphone brand,” Raina said.

He added that Lava aims to sustain 50 percent annual growth over the next few years.

Raina attributed Lava’s longevity in the competitive smartphone space to its focus on research and development (R&D).

“R&D has always been our focus — that’s why we’ve survived so long,” he said. “It’s not a one-day activity; it’s a constantly evolving learning process.”

The company is now integrating artificial intelligence into its ecosystem through an in-house platform called Vayu AI — named after the Sanskrit word for air.

“We have named our AI platform Vayu AI because, like air, it’s going to be everywhere,” Raina said.

Vayu AI will power smart features across devices, including AI agents for learning and communication.

“We have built Math, English and companion agents. When you talk to them, it feels human — more personal, more human-centric,” he said.

Clean software, no ads

Lava has adopted a “zero-bloatware” and ad-free policy across its smartphones to deliver a better user experience.

"Monetisation should not come at the cost of customer experience. Many brands add ads and preloaded apps for revenue. That’s not good for users," Raina said.

Manufacturing and localisation

Even as Lava looks outward, it continues to deepen localisation in India’s manufacturing ecosystem and has applied under the ECMS 2.0 scheme for four categories.

While Raina supports policies that encourage Indian manufacturers, he said Lava’s growth does not depend on government backing.

“Whether creating Indian champions becomes a reality or not, only the government knows. We want it to happen, but our business does not depend on it. Our job is to build capability, make great products, and provide good service,” he said.