Nothing Spins Off CMF Into a Standalone Indian Company With Local R&D Ambitions
Nothing is taking a major step with CMF, its budget-friendly consumer tech sub-brand. Nearly three years after CMF first entered the market, Nothing co-founder and CEO Carl Pei has announced that the brand will become a standalone Indian company headquartered in India.
The move marks a significant shift for CMF, which has quickly built a recognizable identity through products such as smartphones, earbuds, headphones, smartwatches, and other affordable tech accessories. Going forward, CMF will operate independently, with majority ownership held by Indian shareholders. Nothing will continue to be involved as both a partner and shareholder.
CMF’s next chapter will be deeply tied to India’s growing role in the global technology industry. According to the announcement, the company will establish its own local team in India, including dedicated research and development operations. This means CMF will not simply rely on manufacturing in India but will also focus on designing, developing, and engineering products from within the country.
Carl Pei highlighted India’s importance as one of the world’s most dynamic consumer electronics markets. While the Make in India initiative has encouraged many international brands to manufacture devices locally, India still has limited representation when it comes to homegrown consumer electronics companies with global reach.
CMF aims to help close that gap.
The goal is to build a global consumer technology brand from India, supported by local R&D, Indian talent, and stronger ownership of intellectual property. Rather than only assembling devices, CMF wants to develop and co-engineer components with suppliers, create its own technologies, and build products that can compete internationally.
This approach could also support the growth of a wider electronics ecosystem in India. Similar to how China developed a strong engineering and supplier network around its domestic tech brands, CMF’s presence could encourage more local innovation, more technical expertise, and more opportunities for Indian companies in the smartphone and consumer electronics supply chain.
In a related development, Nothing co-founder Akis Evangelidis announced that CMF is partnering with Optiemus Group, an Indian telecommunications and electronics manufacturing company. The partnership is focused on building India’s first end-to-end smartphone R&D capability.
Optiemus is also expected to participate in CMF’s upcoming Series A funding round. This investment will help lay the foundation for what the companies describe as India’s first full-stack smartphone research and development operation.
For consumers, this could mean more affordable devices designed specifically with Indian and global users in mind. For the Indian tech industry, it could represent a meaningful step toward creating a stronger homegrown electronics brand with international ambitions.
CMF’s transition from a Nothing sub-brand into an independent Indian company signals more than just a corporate restructuring. It reflects a larger vision: building a technology brand that is designed, engineered, and scaled from India for the world.
