Nothing opens world's first "product personalization" flagship store in Bengaluru — India becomes its most important market

Nothing, the tech company led by Carl Pei, has opened its first flagship store outside its London headquarters in Bengaluru, India. The two-floor store is the only place in the world offering "product personalization." For Nothing, India is its most important market, with smartphone share of over 2% and shipment volume up 85% year over year.

The full store — a two-floor experiential space

The flagship store that opened in Bengaluru is a two-story space designed not just to display and sell products, but to let visitors experience the brand's design philosophy.

Inside, the store displays production lines and inspection equipment normally found only inside a factory, such as USB port durability testers and waterproof test devices. CEO Carl Pei said, "I wanted to create a fun space inspired by everything that goes into the brand."

Alongside the Nothing Phone and Nothing Ear, the store also carries products from the budget sub-brand CMF by Nothing. CMF is a joint venture with India's Optiemus, headquartered in India, and has already established local production.

Customization service — the only one in the world

The Bengaluru store's biggest feature is its product personalization service, a unique offering not available through any other sales channel, including the London headquarters.

Details of the customization options have yet to be announced, but individual customization is expected to make use of Nothing's transparent design, the Glyph Interface.

Position in the India market — over 2% share, 85% growth in shipments

India is Nothing's strongest market worldwide. As of Q2 2025, its smartphone market share in India exceeded 2%, with shipment volume growing 85% year over year.

Behind India's position as Nothing's most important base is CMF by Nothing. CMF was set up as a joint venture with India's Optiemus, headquartered in India, and rolls out budget smartphones and earphones priced for the Indian market, driving volume growth.

Industry reaction — attention on the "India-first" strategy

In the tech industry, attention has focused on Nothing's decision to choose Bengaluru, not London or New York, for its first overseas flagship store.

Behind this decision is Carl Pei's deep familiarity with the Indian market from his time at OnePlus. The community base and brand awareness he built in India during the OnePlus era continue to support Nothing's rapid growth there.

Backed by the $200 million raised in its Series C round (led by Tiger Global, at a $1.3 billion valuation), the company has announced plans to open flagship stores in Tokyo and New York as well, though specific timing has not been set.

Implications for Japanese companies and those considering entry

Nothing's move carries two implications for Japanese tech companies entering the Indian market.

First, a mindset that positions India not as a "production base for cost reduction" but as its "most important consumer market." Second, an approach to building brand experience through the physical touchpoint of a flagship store. This offers a useful reference for building brand loyalty in ways that e-commerce alone cannot achieve.

What comes next

Conclusion

Nothing's choice of Bengaluru as its first overseas flagship store is a rational decision grounded in the fact that India is its most important market, with shipments up 85%. The world's only product personalization service and its experiential store design show why an online-first tech brand would invest in a physical store. Together with its plans for Tokyo and New York, this store marks the starting point of Nothing's global strategy.

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Sources and references

• TechCrunch: Nothing opens its first retail store in India
• Counterpoint Research: India Smartphone Market Share Q2 2025