London-Based Smartphone Brand Nothing to Boost India Presence, Expand Retail and Manufacturing

Nothing, the London-based consumer tech brand, is set to aggressively scale its operations in India, ramping up investments and local manufacturing. The company is doubling down on its “Make in India” strategy, with a significant focus on expanding production, increasing offline retail presence, and strengthening its market position.

A source familiar with the company’s plans revealed that India has been a key driver for Nothing’s global growth, and the brand is now working on an even more ambitious roadmap to establish itself as a dominant player in the market.

Highlights from Nothing’s India Strategy

Increased investments in India to boost local manufacturing
Co-founder Akis Evangelidis appointed as India President
Plan to expand retail presence to 12,000 stores by 2025
Upcoming Nothing Phone (3a) to be manufactured locally at BYD India’s Chennai facility
India remains the brand’s key growth market, following 577% YoY growth in 2024

Carl Pei’s Vision: India as a Global Smartphone Powerhouse

Nothing’s CEO Carl Pei recently visited India, reinforcing the company’s commitment to long-term expansion. Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Pei highlighted India’s immense potential to become a global leader in smartphone manufacturing.

“India today stands where China was a decade ago in the smartphone industry—on the verge of a major revolution. With the government’s push for local manufacturing, a thriving tech ecosystem, and a rapidly expanding consumer base, India has all the ingredients to become a global smartphone powerhouse,” Pei stated.

This aligns with the Indian government’s “Make in India” and Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes, which have encouraged global brands to set up local production facilities.

Nothing Strengthens Leadership in India

To reinforce its commitment to the Indian market, Nothing has appointed its Co-founder Akis Evangelidis as India’s President. Evangelidis, who will oversee India’s operations from Dubai, emphasized that the company sees India as one of its most critical markets.

“India is one of the most important markets for Nothing, and we believe there is a tremendous opportunity to become a leading consumer tech brand here. We’re committed to accelerating our ‘Make in India’ initiatives and boosting domestic production,” Evangelidis stated.

Expanding Retail and Local Manufacturing

As part of its India expansion strategy, Nothing aims to increase its offline retail footprint from 9,000 to 12,000 stores by the end of 2025. This move is expected to broaden customer access and boost sales in a highly competitive market.

Additionally, the upcoming Nothing Phone (3a) series will be manufactured locally at BYD India’s Chennai facility, reinforcing the company’s commitment to domestic production.

Fastest-Growing Smartphone Brand in 2024

According to Counterpoint Research, Nothing was the fastest-growing smartphone brand in 2024, recording an impressive 577% year-on-year growth. This exponential rise was driven by the success of the Nothing Phone (2a) series and the CMF sub-brand, which resonated strongly with young Indian consumers.

Tarun Pathak, Research Director at Counterpoint, highlighted the key factors behind Nothing’s rapid growth in India:

Unique product positioning and minimalist design
Clean stock Android experience
Strong appeal among Gen Z consumers
Expansion into budget and mid-range smartphone segments
Growing offline retail footprint

“Expanding into the budget and mid-segment, along with a growing retail footprint, has strengthened Nothing’s market presence. In 2025, India remains a key focus, with plans to double investments and improve after-sales services,” Pathak noted.

Nothing’s Global Success and India’s Role

Nothing has achieved over 7 million device sales globally and crossed $1 billion in revenue, making it one of the fastest-growing smartphone brands in the world.

With India playing a pivotal role in its expansion strategy, Nothing is betting big on the country’s booming smartphone market, local production capabilities, and increasing consumer demand to drive its next phase of growth.