Smartphone Startup Nothing’s India Head Manu Sharma Quits

Manu Sharma, who has been leading the India operations of smartphone startup Nothing since February 2021, has stepped down from his position as general manager and vice president. 

His last working day with Nothing will be on January 20, 2024.

Taking to LinkedIn on Thursday (14 December), Sharma posted, “As we ring in the year 2024 very soon, I am excited to share that I have decided to move on from Nothing. The last 3 years have been very eventful and memorable. This has been the most fortunate & incredible time of my life to build the foundation of the Nothing brand in India from ground zero.” 

“The decision to move on came after intensive deliberation due to personal reasons. Nothing India is in an incredibly strong position and has a very robust pipeline of products in 2024 and a very capable team. I am very excited about the adventure that awaits but I am not leaving just yet and will be with Nothing India till the end of January 2024,” he added.

The London-based tech company, launched by former OnePlus cofounder Carl Pei, enlisted Sharma to establish Nothing’s presence in India and propel growth. 

At Nothing, Sharma crafted its India strategy, built the business from scratch, and established key partnerships online and offline. 

He recruited cross-functional teams, implemented processes and systems, and offered vital advice on strategic investments for brand growth in India.

Sharma, who has over two decades of experience, worked with companies such as Samsung Electronics and HP in the past.

Nothing competes with the likes of Apple, Samsung, and OnePlus. In 2021, the London-based consumer tech company Nothing announced its foray into India in partnership with the homegrown ecommerce marketplace Flipkart.

The latest development comes at a time when smartphone shipments in India remained flat, as reported by Counterpoint Research, in Q3 2023 (July-September). Despite the overall stagnation, Apple achieved its highest-ever quarterly shipments during this period. 

The 5G smartphone shipments accounted for 53% of the market, with the primary growth being driven by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) launching multiple devices in the INR 10,000 to INR 15,000 ($120-$180) segment.

Samsung maintained its position as the market leader for the fourth consecutive quarter, holding a 17.2% share. Meanwhile, Apple experienced a high-growth phase in India, recording a 34% year-over-year (YoY) growth.