London-based tech company Nothing announced today that its sub-brand CMF will operate as an independent subsidiary, with India as its global headquarters for R&D, manufacturing, and operations. The move positions CMF as India’s first homegrown global smartphone and smart hardware brand.
To accelerate this vision, Nothing has entered into a strategic joint venture with Indian electronics manufacturer Optiemus Infracom Limited. The partnership will establish India as a production and export hub for Nothing and CMF products, backed by a joint investment of over $100 million and the creation of 1,800 jobs over the next three years. Nothing has already invested $200 million in the country.
Carl Pei, CEO of Nothing, said: “India will play a key role in shaping the future of the global smartphone industry. With our end-to-end capabilities, we are uniquely positioned to build CMF into India’s first truly global smartphone brand. Our joint venture with Optiemus is a key milestone toward making that vision a reality.”
Optiemus brings its proven expertise in engineering, production, and exports. Ashok Gupta, Executive Chairman of Optiemus, noted: “This partnership will empower us to create export-ready products designed in India, showcasing our innovation and talent to the world. It reinforces the vision of Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat.”
The announcement comes on the heels of strategic shifts that have placed India at the center of CMF’s growth, including relocating its global marketing operations to India and appointing Himanshu Tandon as VP of CMF Business. It follows Nothing’s $200 million Series C funding round at a $1.3 billion valuation led by Tiger Global, with investor Nikhil Kamath also coming on board.
By leveraging India’s growing manufacturing ecosystem, CMF aims to emerge as a global challenger in the smartphone and smart hardware market — a brand built in India, for the world.
