CMF Splits from Nothing to Become an Independent Brand in India

In a major shift in the Indian consumer tech landscape, Nothing's founder Carl Pei has announced that CMF is officially separating from Nothing to become a standalone Indian company.

CMF's Next Big India Push

In a detailed post on X, Carl Pei confirmed that CMF will be majority Indian-owned and headquartered in India, complete with its own dedicated local research and development teams. However, Nothing will remain involved as a strategic partner and a shareholder.

X post by Carl Pei titled India is inevitable

Carl outlined the core motivation behind the spin-out, which is to push beyond basic manufacturing. He noted that the Indian market still lacks a native brand driving "real R&D".

CMF plans to build an in-house engineering pipeline and work closely with local manufacturers rather than relying on off-the-shelf white-label designs in India.

Thanks to Nothing being a shareholder, CMF will retain access to Nothing OS and Nothing's core industrial design assets. The brand's domestic team will be responsible for direct hardware engineering and custom component development alongside local suppliers.

CMF Phone 2 in green from the back with close up of cameras — Image Credit: Beebom Gadgets

Recalling news that CMF was crowned the fastest-growing sub-brand in India, the brand wants to build on this and is targeting 100 million shipments annually. Carl says this would give CMF the leverage to demand custom-engineered parts from vendors rather than relying on standard supplier catalogues.

For those wondering how this is different to CMF going independent in India last year, the main difference is that CMF was still a subsidiary owned by Nothing. This meant most of the brand's decisions would still be controlled by Nothing.

However, the latest update marks a complete structural separation where CMF is transitioning into a standalone company, with separate leadership with their own decision-making capabilities.

Akis Evangelidis holding Nothing Phone 4b smartphone — Image Credit: LinkedIn

Carl hasn't stated who will spearhead India operations, nor has he disclosed who will serve in the executive leadership. With Himanshu Tandon's recent CMF exit, Nothing's co-founder, Akis Evangelidis, will probably take charge of the brand in India.

Earlier this year, CMF confirmed it would be venturing into new product categories when it cancelled the CMF Phone 3 Pro. CMF did launch Clip Pro earphones, but we should see the brand launch a wide variety of products soon.