How Can India Build Its Own Global Smartphone Brand? Conversation with Madhav Sheth

Madhav Sheth,  - the driving force behind Realme- opens up about the inside world of smartphone wars, the rise (and fall) of Indian brands, and his vision to rebuild from scratch.

🔍 In this episode:
• How Realme rewrote India’s smartphone playbook
• Why most Indian brands couldn’t survive the global onslaught
• The hidden monopoly controlling 60% of the market
• The next revolution: AI-powered smartphones built for India
• Lessons on leadership, innovation, and staying hungry after success

📌 Episode Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction
03:00 – Building Realme: From Idea to Global Brand
04:15 – The White Space in India’s Smartphone Market
06:20 – Understanding Indian Consumers: From Price to Value
08:10 – Scaling Through Value, Not Volume
10:00 – The Future: Hardware + Software + AI
12:00 – Why India Missed the Smartphone Opportunity
14:10 – Inside BBK Group: Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus & Realme
16:55 – What Killed Indian Smartphone Brands
19:05 – Inside the Smartphone Monopoly
20:35 – Building NextQ: Madhav’s New Mission
23:00 – Leadership Lessons & Founder Mindset
25:30 – Advice for India’s Next-Gen Tech Founders

🎧 Watch the full episode and discover what’s next for India’s tech future.