Ep #23 | WTF are Consumer Electronics? | Nikhil ft. Carl Pei, Rahul Sharma & Amit Khatri
WTF is with Nikhil Kamath
Apr 26
2 hr 46 min
This episode is a playbook for any curious 20-something in India dreaming of building the next big consumer electronics brand. Whether it’s smartphones, earbuds, AI-powered glasses or health wearables, we dig into what it really takes to break into, and survive, this highly competitive space.I sat down with three brilliant minds in the game who’ve actually done it: Carl Pei (Co-Founder, Nothing), Rahul Sharma (Co-Founder, Micromax), and Amit Khatri (Co-Founder, Noise). We tried to decode the what, how, and WTF of this industry—from regulations and the fairness of trade tariffs, to startup realities and what disruption might look like next.You might just spot the next big idea as they share some untapped opportunities waiting to be built in this sector.Resource Document: https://iridescent-party-a15.notion.site/Consumer-Electronics-Resource-Document-1e1aef3ec3e980f29b86dd9bae34410dTimestamps:00:00 - Intro01:12 - How Apple sparked Carl’s love for tech05:05 - The reason for Y Combinator’s success07:28 - Carl’s ‘lazy genius’ approach towards his career15:05 - How Nothing differentiated itself16:36 - US tariff’s impact on China, India & the industry (Note: Since this episode was recorded before recent changes to global trade & tariff policies, some views may not reflect current regulations.)22:10 - Carl’s philosophical views on life24:23 - Rahul’s journey & the roots of his entrepreneurial spirit29:30 - Micromax’s early days: From payphones to GSM innovation38:23 - How traveling to villages led to Micromax’s success50:47 - Competing with China & Micomax’s manufacturing pivot1:00:00 - Apple’s vertical integration strategy: Lessons for companies & governments1:05:00 - Learnings from Rahul’s risk-taking & resilience1:09:00 - Amit’s journey from education to building Noise1:23:34 - Roadmap for 20-somethings entering the electronics industry01:41:47 - Identifying gaps in the commodity market1:48:02 - Disruption in smartphones through design and AI opportunities1:57:40 - Today’s youth vs. yesterday’s corporations2:01:13 - Building India’s supply chain & unlocking its market opportunity2:07:21 - An electronics launchpad for young entrepreneurs2:16:45 - India’s semiconductor push & restarting efforts2:22:26 - Future of TV: One UI for all streaming apps?2:25:41 - Can India build a global ecosystem in electronics?2:35:58 - Health wearables & EdTech opportunities2:42:44 - Advice for 20-somethings who want to break into this industry#NikhilKamath - Investor & EntrepreneurTwitter: https://x.com/nikhilkamathcioLinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikhilkamathcio/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikhilkamathcio/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nikhilkamathcio/#CarlPei - CEO & Co-Founder, NothingTwitter: https://x.com/getpeidLinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/getpeid/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getpeid/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/getpeid/#RahulSharma - Co-Founder, MicromaxTwitter: https://x.com/rahulsharmaLinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahul-sharma-83038634a/#AmitKhatri - Co-Founder, NoiseTwitter: https://x.com/iamamitkhatriLinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamamitkhatri/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsamitkhatri/
