Realme, a popular smartphone brand especially among younger consumers in India, has announced a strategic partnership with Optiemus Electronics Ltd. (OEL) to manufacture its Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) products within India. This collaboration signifies a substantial move towards strengthening India's domestic manufacturing ecosystem and aligns strongly with the Indian government's "Make in India" initiative. The partnership was announced on April 16, 2025.
The long-term vision driving this collaboration involves Realme gradually shifting its entire AIoT product portfolio to Indian production lines. This includes a diverse range of devices such as earphones, smartwatches, and tablets, catering to the growing demand for connected devices. The initial phase of this transition will focus on locally manufacturing key products, including the Realme Buds T200 series, Realme Buds Wireless series, and Realme Buds Air series, with production slated to commence this year.
Beyond assembling devices in India, Realme is also committed to increasing the local sourcing of critical components. The company is actively working to procure a significant portion of components like Printed Circuit Board Assemblies (PCBAs), batteries, mechanical parts, cables, and chargers from Indian suppliers. This move will contribute to developing a more robust and self-reliant supply chain within the country. Furthermore, Realme is exploring the potential to export its "Made-in-India" AIoT products to international markets. This ambition aims to position India not just as a manufacturing hub, but as a global center for innovation and production.
Realme and Optiemus Electronics have set an ambitious target to manufacture 5 million AIoT devices annually through this partnership. This large-scale production is projected to generate over 2,000 new employment opportunities within India, contributing to the growth of the local economy and workforce development. The collaboration is also expected to foster a more skilled workforce capable of supporting high-volume and high-quality production in the electronics manufacturing sector.
Production has already commenced with the Realme Buds T200 Lite, an earbud featuring Dual Mic AI Deep Call Noise Cancellation, powered by DNN voice recognition technology. This marks the first step in the manufacturing collaboration between Realme and Optiemus.
A Realme spokesperson emphasized India's dynamic market for AI-enabled hearables, wearables, and power management devices, stating their excitement to partner with Optiemus Electronics to bring the manufacturing of all their high-performance and value for money AIoT devices to India. Ashok Gupta, Chairman of Optiemus Group, echoed this sentiment, expressing enthusiasm for the partnership and highlighting the role of AI and IoT in making hearable-wearable products smarter and more efficient. He also emphasized OEL's commitment to shaping electronics manufacturing in India, generating employment opportunities, and contributing to the "Atmanirbhar Bharat" (self-reliant India) initiative.
Optiemus Infracom shares experienced a surge, reaching a seven-week high of ₹492.15, following the announcement of the partnership with Realme. This reflects investor confidence in the potential of this collaboration and its positive impact on Optiemus Electronics.
