Nothing CEO Carl Pei has announced plans to turn CMF into a standalone Indian company, with the business expected to have majority Indian ownership and its own team and research and development operations in the country.
In an open letter, Pei said the move is aimed at building a global consumer electronics brand from India. He noted that while India has become one of the world’s major smartphone manufacturing hubs, it does not yet have a consumer electronics brand with comparable global reach.
Under the proposed structure, Nothing will continue as a shareholder and partner in CMF rather than fully controlling the business. The company plans to build an India-based team and R&D capabilities as CMF expands its operations.
Pei also said CMF will target production of 100 million devices a year. This figure represents the company’s stated ambition and should not be read as its current production level.
CMF is already part of Nothing’s consumer electronics portfolio, offering smartphones, audio products and smartwatches in India and other markets. Nothing’s official product catalogue currently lists multiple CMF devices, including CMF phones, earbuds, headphones and watches.
The planned restructuring could give CMF greater operational independence while keeping a strategic relationship with Nothing. It also reflects the broader push to develop Indian-based product development and consumer technology brands rather than focusing only on manufacturing.
If implemented as outlined, the move would make CMF a more independently positioned India-based consumer electronics business, with global ambitions and a large long-term production target.