Ai+ Smartphone Is Not Here for Volume Game: Madhav Sheth I know how to expand to different regions starting from South Asian countries and there is a huge potential for a brand coming out from India, says, Madhav Sheth, CEO Ai+ Smartphone In India.

Sovereignty isn't achieved overnight. With intent, investments, and policy support, India can move from being a market to being a maker of core technologies. With a wealth of experience under his sleeve, former Realme CEO Madhav Sheth, introduced the Ai+ Smartphone in India. He aims to tap into the opportunities that can bridge the digital divide in India. Two months into launching two smartphones, Pulse and Nova 5G, Sheth is confident of finding a soft spot among its customers.

"Our goal is not to play a volume game. We are focused on building trust, category leadership, and a community of users who value privacy and performance. If people not only choose AI+ Smartphone, but continue to use it and recommend it, it means our values—clarity, control, and honesty—are resonating. That's when we know we're building not just a brand, but belief and consumer trust as well," said Madhav Sheth, CEO Ai+ Smartphone In India.

Approximately 450 million people in India still use 2G phones and around 650 million use smartphones. Estimates suggest about a billion people aspire to use smartphones. "There are 350 million users to be added to the smartphone community. There is a huge digital divide between the feature phones and the smartphone market. All the product portfolios which have been designed are for the global market. Almost a decade and no Indian brand is making a mark in the area at this point of time. This is the white space which I aim to cover, and filling it is our product, which is designed and manufactured in India," said Sheth.

To support the tech ecosystem in India, it is important to bring technology know-how and resources from other countries to make India an export nation. Furthermore, the global electronics industry, including smartphones, does have dependencies on China for critical components and raw materials. That said, initiatives like PLI and investments in alternative supply chains are helping mitigate risks. As India's electronics and semiconductor sector gathers momentum — with the market projected to grow from $52 billion in 2024 to $103.4 billion by 2030 (IESA) — policy moves, such as the PLI for electronic components and the ECMS scheme, are helping shape the next phase of innovation and local value addition.

While the component ecosystem is still about to come to India, the domestic value addition (DVA) is around 18-20 percent, which needs to move to 40 percent. "China is already at the stage. So, I think that is the journey which we have to traverse over the period of next five years. At NxtQuantum, we are proactively diversifying supplier networks, working with partners beyond China, and exploring indigenous innovation in key areas to build resilience," he added.

NxtQuantum is developing local component ecosystems (not just assembly units). It is investing in R&D for alternative materials and components, forging strategic alliances with countries like Vietnam, Taiwan, and Japan for supply chain diversification and encouraging deep-tech startups in India that can innovate in semiconductors, batteries, and AI chips. "We are not there yet, no country is entirely self-sufficient in this space. But India's capabilities are expanding fast, especially with the PLI framework in place. Our job as a brand is to accelerate that by localising control and increasing value-chain ownership. Right now, we have complete system-level control. It's a journey, but we are building for the long haul," he explained.

Sheth's two new smartphone launches are priced below INR 10,000. But does he have plans to get into premium products? "Premiumization cannot be considered with just a price tag. India has always been a value conscious rather than a price conscious consumer. Moving up the ladder for us means value driven products and not price tags. Even in the case of new launches, we will come up with any, only if they have innovative features. Otherwise, there is no point," he explained.

Keeping up with the demand, the coming season looks promising for the entrepreneur. "The festive season is about more than just price drops and flash sales. We continue to leverage Flipkart's national reach and pair it with creator-led storytelling around personalisation, clean software, and long-term performance. For us, the goal is to deepen trust and make the brand memorable in people's minds. You will have to wait for some time to know more about our Diwali plans," he said.

With his previous experience of scaling a brand from India to 90 countries, he is not stopping at just tapping into the domestic market. His goal is to go global. "I know how to expand to different regions starting from South Asian countries. There is a huge potential for a brand coming out from India," he added.

Currently, the brand is not present offline but will be expanding in the channel soon by directly going to the retailers as it wants to maintain a sharp pricing.