London-based technology firm Nothing has announced that CMF, which was previously a sub-brand, will operate as an independent subsidiary. India will serve as the base for its operations, research and development, and manufacturing. This move highlights India’s potential to support and expand next-generation consumer technology brands.
In conjunction with this evolution, Nothing has formed a strategic manufacturing joint venture with Optiemus Infracom, a leading Indian electronics manufacturer. This partnership aims to position India as a global production and export hub for both Nothing and CMF products. The joint venture represents a big investment in India’s technology manufacturing sector and aligns with the Government of India’s Make in India initiative.
CMF’s objective is to establish itself as India’s first truly global consumer technology brand, emphasizing its commitment to innovation and quality. As part of the joint venture, Nothing and Optiemus plan to invest over USD $100 million and create more than 1,800 jobs in India over the next three years. Nothing has already invested over USD $200 million in the country.
Carl Pei, CEO of Nothing, stated, “India will play a key role in shaping the future of the global smartphone industry. CMF has been well received by the market since our launch two years ago. With our end-to-end capabilities, we are uniquely positioned to build it into India’s first truly global smartphone brand. Our joint venture with Optiemus is a key milestone toward making that vision a reality.”
Optiemus is expected to enhance the manufacturing capacities with its engineering expertise. The company’s experience in supporting global brands further solidifies India’s stance as a hub for electronics manufacturing.
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Ashok Gupta, Executive Chairman of Optiemus, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, “This collaboration with Nothing will allow us to further strengthen our world-class manufacturing capabilities for both current and future products. The decision of global brands to build in India underscores the Indian ecosystem’s resilience and the goals of Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat. This partnership extends beyond high-tech manufacturing; it will empower us to create export-ready products designed in India, showcasing our innovation and talent to the world in the years to come.”
This announcement follows several significant moves by CMF, including relocating global marketing operations to India and appointing senior leaders like Himanshu Tandon as VP of CMF Business. Recently, Nothing also secured USD $200 million in Series C funding, reaching a valuation of $1.3 billion, with notable investor Nikhil Kamath joining the round.