Smartphone maker Nothing doubles down on India, CEO Carl Pei says company investing more

Smartphone maker Nothing doubles down on India, CEO Carl Pei says company investing more

• Nothing opens first flagship store in Bengaluru, plans more stores
• Over $100 million to be invested in India, creating 1,800 jobs
• Nothing aims to make India a global production and export hub

Did our AI summary help?

London-based smartphone maker Nothing is doubling down on India, ramping up investments across retail, manufacturing and brand-building as it positions the country among its most critical global markets.

“We're definitely investing more and more into the ecosystem here. The store is another proof point of that. Apart from the fact that the store is coming, we announced the RCB title sponsorship for the 2026 season — these are signals of our seriousness about the market,” CEO Carl Pei said. “India is one of our biggest markets. A lot of our users are here.”

The company opened its first flagship offline store in Bengaluru and plans to expand its physical retail footprint further, signaling a deeper long-term commitment to India beyond its online-first beginnings.

At the same time, Nothing is strengthening its local manufacturing base. Akis Evangelidis, co-founder and India President at Nothing, said the company is in active discussions with the Indian government to accelerate its domestic expansion.

Nothing has formed a joint venture with Optiemus Electronics to establish India as a global production and export hub for Nothing and CMF products. The partnership will see over $100 million invested in India over the next three years and is expected to create more than 1,800 jobs. To date, the company has already invested over $200 million in the country.

“We’ve been having a lot of discussions. The government is embracing dialogue — speaking with different stakeholders, understanding the requirements and figuring out how to accelerate that momentum,” Evangelidis said, describing India’s policy environment as highly engaged and mission-driven in pushing consumer tech manufacturing.

He added that India’s emergence as a technology manufacturing powerhouse has been a decade in the making. Initiatives such as Make in India laid the foundation, with results now visible in hard numbers. India accounts for a significant share of global smartphone production, including iPhones — a shift that reflects years of policy support and supply chain development.

“This didn’t happen overnight. It’s been a long pipeline of work, and now we’re seeing the results,” Evangelidis said.

Beyond manufacturing, he pointed to India’s large domestic market, steady growth and accelerating technology adoption as structural advantages.

“The domestic market is strong, growth is here and consumption is picking up,” he said. “It’s a thriving market for any company that operates well — you can grow domestically and then take that momentum worldwide.”