MC Exclusive: Nothing looking to manufacture audio products in India, confirms CEO Carl Pei

Nothing Ear (1)

Nothing is set to deepen its manufacturing footprint in India. In an exclusive confirmation to Moneycontrol, Nothing CEO Carl Pei revealed that after smartphones, the company is looking to make audio products locally, marking a significant expansion beyond smartphones.

This move signals the London-based brand’s commitment to building a long-term ecosystem in India — not just as a key consumer market, but as a strategic manufacturing hub. “We’ve been making phones in India, and now we’re looking at bringing our audio product manufacturing here too,” Pei told Moneycontrol in an exclusive chat, underscoring the company’s ambitions in the region.

Nothing’s decision comes at a time when India is positioning itself as a global electronics manufacturing powerhouse, with Production Linked Incentive (PLI) 2.0 acting as a magnet for tech companies. Pei confirmed that Nothing is also looking at participation in the PLI 2.0 scheme, introduced by the Indian government to attract high-value manufacturing and encourage local component sourcing.

The upcoming push for localised audio production would cover products like the recently announced Headphone (1) — Nothing’s debut over-ear headphones engineered in collaboration with KEF — as well as its popular TWS earbuds, which have carved a niche in the design-first audio category.

Manufacturing these products in India could help Nothing streamline logistics, reduce costs, and better serve one of its fastest-growing markets. India has consistently been a top-performing region for Nothing, with the brand receiving strong traction for both its smartphones and wearables thanks to a combination of aggressive pricing, community engagement, and a design  aesthetic that stands out in a crowded tech landscape.

According to a recent report by Counterpoint Research, Nothing's shipments grew by 146% year over year. As per the report, Nothing has beenIndia's fastest-growing smartphone brand for the sixth quarter in a row.  What has worked in the previous quarter was the release of CMF Phone 2 Pro.

More focus on India

Earlier in April, Pei confirmed that Nothing is exploring ways to increase exports from India, as a hedge against potential disruption to international tech supply chains. It certainly made sense as India has been a launchpad for Nothing’s growth and is one of its most critical markets. “Who knows? Things are changing every day,” Pei had said earlier this year when asked if tariffs could rattle the tech industry and impact Nothing’s pricing or product consumption. But when it came to mitigation plans, he didn’t hedge: “We’re looking into increasing exports from India.”

Nothing has confirmed that it will start exporting 'made in India; Phone (3) to other markets. Nothing recently also moved its sub-brand CMF’s global marketing function to India, with the aim of expanding more of its operations into India. Nothing phones are made locally  in India and soon audio products could make their production debut as well.