Ai+ Targets 5X Growth in 2026, Plans 5G, Flip Phones, and a Connected Ecosystem

Ai+ smartphone is a new entrant in India's smartphone market, launched in July 2025. A domestic homegrown brand, it was founded by Madhav Sheth, who previously led Realme in India, where the company become the country's second-largest smartphone brand under his leadership. Now, with Ai+, Sheth is building a brand focused on affordability, data security, and a connected ecosystem. After launching two smartphones priced under ₹10,000, Ai+ will expand its portfolio to include 5G devices, flip and foldable, and ecosystem products such as wearables, tablets, and audio accessories. Gadgets 360 spoke with Madhav Sheth, CEO of Ai+ Smartphone, to understand the brand's progress and future plans. The company also plans to launch power banks by the end of the year. Some responses have been edited for clarity. 

How has 2025 been for Ai+ in terms of growth, would it be better if you describe the growth in terms of numbers?

In 2025, we launched only two models in the Ai+ smartphone lineup - Pulse and Nova 5G. While the Ai+ Plus series was launched in July 2025 at a starting price of Rs 4,999 the Nova 5G was priced starting at Rs 7,499. Now we have sold close to a million units on these two models. The most important milestone for me is not about selling a million units. Most important milestone is all about, you know, establishing an Indian brand. It's very unfortunate in India that probably everybody judges everything by numbers. But they do not understand there is not even one number in India as an Indian brand who has at least compete with the Chinese ecosystems or any ecosystems outside India.

While this market is more than 4 lakh to 5 lakh crore rupees which is $45-55 billion market. There is not even $1 billion from the Indian smartphone brand. It's a very sad thing about an Indian industry with a 1.5 billion population. We do not have even one entrepreneur or one company who can have 1% share of this particular market, which is completely dominated by an outside India brands. India is currently facing two major challenges. First, there is no strong Indian EcoTech ecosystem. Second, from an Indian perspective, we are facing a monopoly in a dualpoly market in an Android ecosystem. Therefore, we need a long-term vision to build such an ecosystem, and that is what I am working towards through Ai+ in india.

What business or revenue targets have you set for 2026? What is your roadmap for this year?

We are targeting 5x growth for Ai+ smartphones in 2026. Last year we sold approximately 1 million units, and aim to increase sales to 5 million in 2026. We are targeting a revenue of Rs 4,000 to 5,000 crore this year. At the same time what we are targeting is to bring the ecosystems completely which is including watches, tablets, TWS earphones. I have always believed in connected ecosystem because connected ecosystem play is something which I understand very well. I believe that with the new smartphone portfolio we are planning to launch, along with the ecosystem strategy I am building, I should be able to achieve my targets in 2026.  

How many products do you plan to launch this year, and how many new categories do you intend to enter? Are foldable devices part of your roadmap?

If we talk about our new launches, the NOVA 5G series is a key focus for us. The NOVA 5G lineup will consist of four models which will be coming. Currently, we have Pulse and NOVA in the market, and both will be upgraded gradually since their product life cycles are longer. We do not believe in frequently replacing models or launching new ones just to avoid confusing consumers. Any replacement will happen only when there is a clear value addition for customers, which we are planning around March or April.

In addition, we will be expanding the NOVA series to make it a complete 5G family. We began with an entry-level 5G device, and our goal is to build the NOVA lineup into a full-range 5G portfolio, including a mid-range offering at the top end. We have already announced the Flip, and beyond that, there will be other NOVA models to complete the family. Foldables are also on our roadmap, but those will be evaluated after the Flip. One thing is very clear for me, i do not want to confuse customers with multiple series, similar devices, or different names for the same phone.

Do you believe Indian consumers actually need flip or foldables today, or is this more about aspiration and brand positioning?

I believe definitely Indian consumers want flip and foldable devices. It's not about the necessity, they need it. Consumers aspire to own foldable devices at a price point that works for them, and pricing is the most important factor for adoption. More than 50% of India's population is young, which is why India is often described as the youngest country in the world. If you look at their spending capacity, it typically does not go beyond USD 300-400, even with financing and installment options. While easy financing has helped adoption, it is also going a bit too deep, which I don't think is entirely healthy.

At the same time, consumers are becoming clearer about what they want. So yes, there is a definite demand for flip and foldables. From a brand perspective, they are important because they showcase the kind of technology we are bringing to the market, while also helping us address the aspirations of young consumers who want these devices but cannot yet afford them at current price points.

How do you convince someone who trusts you for budget phones to trust you with a flip or foldable that costs many times more?

It's all about experience. I'm not expecting volumes immediately. I want people to experience the product first and build trust before making a purchase. Today, we already have over a million consumers in the market who know that AI+ makes good smartphones. When we first launched, people compared us to companies from 2014-15 that promised smartphones at certain price points but failed to deliver. Many assumed this was just another gimmick. However, once we delivered at scale, the criticism stopped. I don't respond to critics, I focus on execution.

The same approach applies to flip and foldable devices. When we launch them, the priority will be for consumers to experience the product. Once people trust the hardware, software, and the overall experience we are building, we will then expand the portfolio further. 

Almost every brand says ‘innovation' and ‘AI'. In one sentence, what does Ai+ do that others brands cannot?

Ai+ is focus on data security first, not AI gimmicks. All our user data is stored on Google-approved servers in India through our partnership with MeitY, ensuring data stays within the country. We believe data protection will be a major government and industry priority over the next few years, as telemetry data can otherwise be misused for marketing, research, or commercial purposes. For us, AI is an add-on feature. We call it Applied Intelligence where human intelligence remains in control and technology supports decision-making-rather than artificial intelligence that replaces human judgment. 

Would you rather go viral on social media or earn slow trust in small towns and why?

I would choose slow, earned trust over going viral. I believe in building a strong community, and have always trusted word-of-mouth marketing. Social media, honestly, often feels more like noise than substance. I use it mainly to communicate clearly what we are doing with the brand, not to chase virality. For me, these platforms are tools for information, not attention. I use them to update our Ai+ audience on our plans, progress, and service initiatives. Virality is not the objective; trust is. If something goes viral naturally, that's fine but it's never the goal.