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Beyond assembly: Why Nothing's CMF is betting on building R&D base in India

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Beyond assembly: Why Nothing's CMF is betting on building R&D base in India

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Beyond assembly: Why Nothing's CMF is betting on building R&D base in India

Nothing's CMF is combining Indian ownership, manufacturing and R&D with Optiemus as it seeks to move beyond assembly and build deeper product-engineering capabilities in India. But to what end?

Sweta Kumari New Delhi 8 min read Last Updated : Sep 23 2026 | 5:25 PM IST

Nothing's decision to make CMF a majority Indian-owned company, with local contract manufacturer Optiemus Group joining its upcoming Series A investment round, marks a new phase in the companies' India partnership. The expanded arrangement brings manufacturing, ownership and research and development (R&D) together, with Nothing saying the aim is to build a smartphone business that is designed and engineered in India.

The move comes after years of investment in smartphone manufacturing in the country. However, according to IDC's Navkendar Singh, India continues to depend on China and other countries for several high-value smartphone components, including displays, memory and processors.

"The specific partnership, I would look at it as not landscape-changing," said Singh, associate vice-president, IDC. He said he sees the move more in the context of CMF benefiting from India's manufacturing incentives and strengthening its positioning as an Indian brand.

The expanded partnership between CMF and Optiemus goes beyond their earlier focus on manufacturing. According to details provided about the partnership, the two companies are bringing together three elements: manufacturing, ownership and R&D.


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