CMF, a global consumer technology brand, and Optiemus Group today announced a significant expansion of their strategic partnership. The collaboration is set to establish India’s first full-stack smartphone research and development (R&D) capability, with Optiemus joining CMF’s upcoming Series A investment round. This move is designed to position CMF as a majority Indian-owned, independent smartphone brand, developed from India for a global market.

The expanded agreement builds upon a manufacturing joint venture established in September 2025, which designated India as a production hub for Nothing and CMF products. This initial venture will now evolve into a comprehensive partnership encompassing manufacturing, ownership, and R&D under a unified Indian entity. The initiative marks a strategic step in both companies’ commitment to strengthening India’s technological infrastructure from the ground up.

CMF Strategic Vision for India’s Tech Ecosystem

This announcement aligns with the Indian government’s ongoing efforts to enhance the nation’s electronics manufacturing and technology ecosystem. CMF’s investment in local R&D and engineering aims to advance India’s position in the smartphone value chain, moving beyond assembly towards advanced technology development and global exports. This shift is crucial for fostering an environment where innovation and intellectual property are generated domestically.

Carl Pei, CEO of Nothing, articulated the vision: “India possesses the essential elements to become a global technology powerhouse, including engineering talent, a substantial consumer market, growing manufacturing capabilities, and consistent government support. This foundation now enables us to embark on building India’s first full-stack smartphone R&D capability through CMF. We have demonstrated at Nothing that an independent brand can develop its own design, software, and engineering expertise to establish a global presence. Our objective is to replicate this blueprint in India with CMF, in collaboration with Optiemus, to build for the world.”

Ashok Gupta, Executive Chairman of Optiemus, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing India’s potential to not only manufacture but also innovate. “The Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (MPMS) introduced by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is instrumental in realizing this ambition, supporting the development of R&D, IP, design, and advanced manufacturing capabilities within India,” Gupta stated. He highlighted the partnership’s role in driving greater value addition and supporting the Prime Minister’s vision for a self-reliant India. For more information on CMF’s offerings, visit the official CMF by Nothing website (https://cmf.tech/).

Building End-to-End Smartphone R&D Capabilities

The core ambition of this partnership extends beyond mere ownership and manufacturing, focusing on transforming CMF into India’s first smartphone brand with comprehensive, end-to-end R&D capabilities. These capabilities will span six critical disciplines:

Industrial Design: Encompassing the conceptualization and development of a phone’s aesthetics, form, and material selection.
Mechanical Engineering: Focusing on the structural design, materials, thermal management systems, and overall hardware architecture.
Camera Engineering: Involving the development of camera systems, sensor selection, and the underlying technology for image processing and photography.
Software Engineering: Dedicated to the development and optimization of the operating system and software powering the hardware.
Connectivity Engineering: Designing and fine-tuning the phone’s antennas, radio systems, and network performance.
Component Engineering: Collaborating directly with suppliers to develop, test, and optimize key components for CMF products.

CMF aims to leverage Nothing’s established experience in developing products across these disciplines in-house, anchoring this expertise in India. The intellectual property generated through these efforts will be held locally, signifying a shift towards domestic design and engineering rather than just assembly.

Historically, much of the world’s smartphone engineering and component ecosystem has been concentrated in regions like China, driven by demand and R&D from local brands. Previous generations of Indian smartphone brands often competed on assembly, distribution, and pricing, with deeper engineering and supplier bases remaining offshore. CMF’s strategy is to cultivate a similar demand-driven ecosystem in India, fostering the growth of engineering talent, local component suppliers, and indigenous IP development to collectively drive innovation. This development is expected to contribute significantly to ongoing industry developments(https://technosports.co.in/) within the Indian tech sector.