Ai+ Smartphone, Optiemus plan ₹125 crore India manufacturing push

Homegrown technology brand Ai+ Smartphone said Thursday it has signed an agreement with electronics contract manufacturer Optiemus Electronics (OEL) to manufacture smartphones and other ecosystem products in India, the companies said in a joint statement Thursday.

The agreement will cover production of smartphones, tablets, IoT (Internet of Things) devices and advanced wearables at OEL’s facility in Noida with a ramp-up in production targeted from April 2026.

As part of the agreement, Ai+ and OEL will jointly invest Rs 125 crore over the next five years to make approximately three million smartphones under the agreement. The companies said the project will create over 1200 direct and indirect jobs across manufacturing, operations, and supporting functions.


“Together, we are committing capital, creating jobs, and building under the Government of India’s Make in India vision, so that more of the value in this industry is created here, not just assembled here,” said Madhav Sheth, CEO, Ai+ Smartphone and Founder, NxtQuantum Shift Technologies.

The newly incorporated brand, launched in 2025, operates primarily in the budget segment with ambition to move up to the premium segment with foldable smartphones. The company claims to power its devices with a sovereign operating system amidst increasing dominance of Chinese and global brands.

With the agreement, Optiemus, which is a beneficiary of the government’s production-linked incentive scheme for large electronics, now counts Ai+ Smartphone alongside Nothing, Realme, Xiaomi, and OnePlus as customers to manufacture products including smartphones, tablets, and wearables. It also makes smartwatches for homegrown brand Noise.

“With our facilities and experience in electronics manufacturing, we will support Ai+ Smartphone as it ramps production of smartphones and new device categories from India, strengthening domestic manufacturing and creating room for future export-led growth,” said Ashok Gupta, Optiemus Electronics Limited.