Nothing is preparing for a major restructuring of its affordable technology brand CMF. Co-founder and CEO Carl Pei has announced that CMF will be spun off into a separate company, with India at the centre of its operations.
The new company will be headquartered in India and is expected to be majority-owned by Indian shareholders. The move could give CMF greater independence as it expands its smartphone and consumer electronics business.
CMF Will Have Its Own Team and R&D
According to Carl Pei, the new CMF company will be registered and operated from India. It will have its own team, while its research and development activities will also be based in the country.
However, CMF will not become completely independent of Nothing. Nothing will retain a stake in the new company and continue to be involved as a partner.
This means CMF will have greater operational independence while still maintaining a connection with the company that originally created the brand.
CMF Was Created as an Affordable Technology Brand
Nothing launched CMF as a more affordable consumer electronics brand, offering products aimed at customers looking for accessible pricing while retaining a focus on design and technology.
According to Carl Pei, CMF was built using Nothing's existing engineering and product-development capabilities.
The company has also described CMF as India's fastest-growing smartphone sub-brand in 2025.
Ambitious Goal of 100 Million Smartphones a Year
CMF has set an ambitious long-term target for its business.
Carl Pei said the company aims to eventually develop the capacity to manufacture and sell 100 million smartphones every year.
At that scale, Pei believes CMF would move beyond being simply a smartphone brand and could become a broader platform with a role across the electronics supply chain.
Why India Is Important for CMF
India's growing electronics manufacturing industry is one of the key reasons behind the decision to establish CMF as an India-based company.
Pei highlighted India's large domestic market, expanding manufacturing capabilities and growing pool of engineering and technology talent.
He also argued that India's electronics industry should increasingly focus on product engineering and research and development rather than concentrating primarily on assembly and manufacturing.
Nearly 99% of Smartphones Made in India
Pei also pointed to the growth of domestic smartphone manufacturing.
Citing government and industry data, he said that nearly 99% of smartphones sold in India are now manufactured domestically, compared with almost none a decade ago.
The new CMF structure could therefore allow the company to further invest in product development, engineering and manufacturing capabilities within India.
With CMF becoming a separate India-based company while Nothing remains a partner, the move marks a significant shift in the brand's structure and could give CMF greater control over its future expansion in the country's rapidly growing electronics market.
