Chinese smartphone and AIoT brand realme has officially commenced manufacturing and shipping its audio products in India, marking a strategic step towards greater localization and supporting the Indian government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. This comes through a key partnership with homegrown manufacturer Optiemus Electronics Limited (OEL), with production underway at OEL’s Noida facility.
Initial Production and Scaling Plans
The partnership kicked off with the local production of the realme Buds T200 Lite, a feature-rich earbud offering Dual Mic AI Deep Call Noise Cancellation with DNN voice recognition technology, known for delivering crystal-clear calling experiences. Initial manufacturing capacity is set at 2,500 units per day, with plans to scale up to 10,000 units daily in the coming months. Realme also plans to expand production to other popular models including the hybrid active noise cancellation realme Buds T200.
Long-Term Localization Strategy and Economic Impact
This collaboration is a cornerstone of realme’s broader vision to transition its entire AIoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things) product lineup—including earphones, smartwatches, and tablets—to Indian manufacturing over the next three years. Alongside assembly, realme is pushing for increased domestic sourcing of key components such as batteries, Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs), cables, and chargers to foster a robust local supply chain.
Together, realme and OEL aim to manufacture up to 5 million AIoT devices annually. This ambitious scale is also projected to generate over 2,000 new employment opportunities in India, contributing significantly to the local economy and talent pool.
Strategic Importance and Future Prospects
This partnership reinforces realme’s commitment to the Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat programs, aiming not only to cater to domestic demand but also to position India as a global hub for AIoT innovation and manufacturing. The collaboration may open avenues for exporting Made-in-India devices to international markets, enhancing India’s stature as an electronics production powerhouse.
Ashok Gupta, Chairman of Optiemus Electronics, expressed enthusiasm about the alliance, highlighting OEL’s dedication to advancing India’s electronics manufacturing landscape while supporting high-volume, high-quality production.