Highlights

• Head of POCO India, Himanshu Tandon has reportedly resigned and is expected to join CMF by Nothing in August 2025.
• POCO accounted for 41% of its Q2 shipments, driven by Gen Z focus and offline retail expansion.
• CMF is rapidly scaling with 229% growth in Q2 and strong Gen Z demand for CMF devices.

Himanshu Tandon, who has been leading Xiaomi’s sub-brand POCO in India, has reportedly stepped down from his post. According to a recent Money Control report, Tandon is likely to join London-based smartphone company Nothing in August to lead its CMF division.

As of now, Xiaomi, POCO and Nothing have not responded to queries, according to Moneycontrol.

Tandon’s departure marks the second major leadership exit at Xiaomi India within a year, following the exit of company president Muralikrishnan B in November 2024. Tandon was part of the founding team of POCO and took charge of the brand’s India operations in 2022. He directly reported to Sandeep Singh Arora, who joined Xiaomi India as Chief Business Officer in January after moving from Samsung.

His resignation comes at a time when Xiaomi is facing declining market share and falling smartphone shipments. Despite that, POCO has remained one of the company’s stronger performers in recent quarters.

According to Canalys, POCO accounted for 41% of Xiaomi’s India shipments in Q2 2025, a notable rise from 30% in Q2 2024. POCO shipped 2.03 million units in the quarter, up from 1.5 million in Q1. However, Xiaomi’s overall India shipments (including POCO) saw a 25% year-on-year decline, falling to 5 million units, with market share slipping from 18% to 13%, the steepest drop among all major brands in Q2.

Meanwhile, Xiaomi’s main smartphone line, Redmi, has been struggling to capture consumer interest, particularly in offline markets.

According to Sanyam Chaurasia, Principal Analyst at Canalys, “Poco’s growth is powered by a sharp focus on Gen Z buyers through bold design choices, gaming-centric features, and a strong display-performance package. Equally critical has been Poco’s rapid offline expansion, especially via its partnership with JioMart Digital, helping it scale retail presence nationwide.”

Tandon’s expected move to CMF by Nothing aligns with the company’s aggressive India-focused strategy. Nothing recently shifted its global marketing operations to India signaling a long-term commitment to the region.

CMF, which targets the value-design segment with products like earbuds, smartphones, and accessories, plans to use India’s scale and speed to accelerate product and marketing rollouts.

The transition was announced internally by Akis Evangelidis, co-founder of Nothing and its President of India Operations. Under his leadership, Nothing recorded 229% year-on-year growth in Q2, driven by strong demand for the CMF Phone 2 Pro, Phone 3a, and Phone 3a Pro, all aimed at urban Gen Z consumers through design-first innovation.

Official confirmations from Xiaomi and Nothing regarding Tandon’s role transition are expected in the coming days.

FAQS

Q1. Who is Himanshu Tandon?

Answer. Himanshu Tandon was the head of POCO India and a founding team member. He’s reportedly stepping down and is expected to join CMF by Nothing in August 2025 to lead its India operations.

Q2. How has POCO performed under Tandon’s leadership?

Answer. POCO has grown significantly, making up 41% of Xiaomi’s India shipments in Q2 2025, up from 30% the year before. Its Gen Z-focused strategy and offline expansion helped it outperform even as Xiaomi’s overall market share declined.

Q3. What is CMF by Nothing, and why is Tandon’s move important?

Answer. CMF targets value-conscious, design-centric buyers with products like smartphones and earbuds. Tandon’s transition aligns with Nothing’s India-first strategy, aimed at rapid product rollouts and marketing scale, especially after its 229% YoY growth in.

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