London-based smartphone company Nothing has unveiled plans to invest $100 million in India, underscoring its ambition to turn the country into a manufacturing and research hub. The expansion is expected to create more than 1,800 jobs by 2028 and reflects growing confidence in India’s role within the global electronics supply chain.
The announcement followed a meeting between Nothing co-founder and chief executive Carl Pei and India’s Minister of Electronics and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw. Pei described the minister as the “driving force” behind the country’s tech ecosystem, according to posts he made on X, formerly Twitter. He added that India would play a “key role in shaping the future of the global smartphone industry.”
Central to the plan is a joint manufacturing venture with Optiemus, one of India’s leading electronics firms. The partnership will handle production for Nothing and its budget-focused brand CMF, positioning India as both a manufacturing and export hub. Optiemus Executive Chairman Ashok Gupta called the move a “testament to the strength of the Indian ecosystem and the vision of Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat,” the Economic Times reported.
The $100 million commitment is in addition to more than $200 million that Nothing has already invested in India since its founding in 2020. With this move, the company is signalling a deeper long-term presence, tying its future more closely to India’s fast-expanding consumer technology market.
CMF becomes an independent brand
A notable element of the strategy is the repositioning of CMF. Initially launched as an affordable sub-brand, CMF will now operate as an independent subsidiary headquartered in India. Nothing has shifted CMF’s global marketing operations to the country, confirming India as its centre for research, development and manufacturing.
The company said it intends to build CMF into “India’s first truly global smartphone brand”. The next CMF product, the Headphone Pro, is scheduled for launch on 29 September. Since its debut two years ago, CMF has gained traction among younger consumers in India, providing an entry point into Nothing’s ecosystem.
Nothing has been expanding aggressively, securing a $1.3 billion valuation in a recent Series C funding round, where it raised $200 million, according to Bloomberg. The company has also flagged plans to launch AI-native devices next year. Pei has hinted these products will not be smartphones, suggesting Nothing is preparing to diversify beyond handsets into broader consumer technology.
The emphasis on India fits with wider industry trends. Apple, Samsung and Xiaomi have all been scaling their production bases in the country, responding to both the government’s incentives and the need to reduce reliance on China. By tying CMF’s global strategy to India, Nothing appears to be betting on the country not just as a production hub but as a global innovation centre.