Nothing Opens Its First Retail Store in India — Its Biggest Market

Futuristic Nothing retail store interior in Bengaluru India with LED panels and phone displays

Nothing just opened its first retail store outside of London — and it's not in New York or Tokyo. It's in Bengaluru, India. The choice says everything about where the $1.3 billion hardware startup sees its future.

Why Bengaluru?

India is Nothing's biggest market. The company holds over 2% of the Indian smartphone market and was the fastest-growing smartphone brand in the country in Q2 2025, with a staggering 85% year-over-year growth in shipments, according to IDC.

"We wanted to create a fun space," CEO Carl Pei said. "It's kind of inspired by all the parts that are related to the brand. For instance, the factory: if you buy a product, there's like a production line where the product comes out. We also show machines where phones go through testing, like USB port testing or water resistance testing."

The Two-Brand Strategy

The two-story store will showcase products from both Nothing and CMF, its budget brand. CMF is headquartered in India and has a joint venture with local Indian ODM Optiemus — a signal of how seriously Nothing takes the Indian market.

"Nothing is more niche with a higher price. CMF is more targeted toward mass market," Pei explained. "You know it's mass, but it's not just off-the-shelf rebrand products. They are also products that we put a lot of care into."

This dual approach — premium for aspiration, budget for scale — mirrors strategies used by companies like Xiaomi, but with Nothing's distinctive design language setting it apart.

The Bigger Picture

Nothing isn't the only hardware company betting big on India. Apple is opening its sixth Indian store this month in Mumbai's Borivali suburb. But the strategies couldn't be more different: Apple is expanding into India from a position of global dominance, while Nothing chose India as its launchpad for global retail.

The company plans to open stores in Tokyo and New York next, though timelines haven't been announced. With $450 million in total funding and a $1.3 billion valuation after its Tiger Global-led Series C, Nothing has the runway to execute.

What This Means

Nothing's Bengaluru store is more than a retail play. It's a statement: India isn't a secondary market anymore. For a generation of hardware startups, it might be the primary one. Carl Pei left OnePlus to build a truly global brand — and India is proving that bet right.