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Evangelidis says Nothing remains optimistic about India, buoyed by strong local manufacturing partnerships; ElevenLabs’ Siddharth Srinivasan also says India is and will continue to be one of the biggest AI markets in the world
Akis Evangelidis, co-founder and India President of London-based technology company Nothing. (X/@AkisEvangelidis)
Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic buzzword—it’s here, seamlessly embedding itself into the way we interact with technology. At the News18 Rising Bharat Summit, top voices from AI-first companies Nothing and ElevenLabs offered a glimpse into the rapidly shifting tech landscape, with India at its epicentre.
Akis Evangelidis, co-founder of Nothing, said, “Our dependency on smartphones has drastically changed, we use them for everything nowadays. AI is redefining the user experience. For over a decade, smartphones have stayed trapped in silos, ruled by taps and menus. That’s changing with AI. Your smartphone now understands probably better than you,” he said.
He added that our smartphone usage will be more intentional. Now, we are using apps or services that had their own agendas. In future, with AI, systems will adapt to the user experience.
“Today, when you open social media, you see everything except your best friends or family members because they are not posting so much and don’t come into the algorithm. However, in future, content from your family members or friends will be brought up, maybe on your homescreen without even having to open the app,” he said.
Nothing’s strategy is deeply rooted in India, where it now finds its biggest market. Despite global challenges such as rising tariffs in the US, the company remains optimistic, buoyed by strong local manufacturing partnerships. Evangelidis even hinted at moving from London to India, underlining the brand’s deepening commitment to the region.
“India is at the forefront in the smartphone industry on the global stage. About 10 years ago, we saw a log of brands coming into the country. Now, we are quite bullish on the fact that India is next. I think this is the place to be in the next 5-10 years,” Evangelidis said.
On asked if he plans to relocate from London, he said, “In the process actually.”
But as AI becomes more embedded in everyday interactions, privacy concerns loom large. Evangelidis acknowledged this skepticism, saying it stems from a lack of “visible, beneficial use cases”. That’s exactly what Nothing aims to address—making technology feel more personalised, secure, and empowering.
On the content front, AI-powered voice synthesis technology company ElevenLabs’ India head Siddharth Srinivasan showcased how voice AI is transforming the very way creators connect with audiences. Speaking of their breakthrough voice cloning technology, Srinivasan shared a recent success—Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s podcast being dubbed into English using his own voice. “This isn’t just about accessibility… It’s about creating global, personal reach,” he said.
He also said ElevenLabs has safeguards to prevent misuse of cloned voices.
“From day one, we realised that responsibility has to be part of the framework,” said Siddharth Srinivasan, go-to-market leader for India at ElevenLabs while speaking at the Rising Bharat Summit 2025 on April 9 in New Delhi. ElevenLabs has built strict user consent protocols, digital watermarking of all generated content, and back-tracking systems that can identify the source and purpose of any voice clone.
“The average person can’t go up onto ElevenLabs platform and start generating clones, creating mischief with that. We’ve got processes where first of all, you yourself are in the room and consenting. Number two, every generation is watermarked. And third, if there is a need to track back a piece of content and verify whether it was done, and what was the source of generation, we make that happen the full way. And that’s a 99% precision,” he added.
These guardrails are especially crucial as the startup scales.
ElevenLabs’ platform can now clone native voices across multiple languages in just a few hours. With over 100 million podcast listeners, 140–150 million voice-based users, and nearly 600 million video consumers, India is emerging as the perfect launchpad for such innovations. Its linguistic diversity and booming creator economy make it a natural global hub for voice tech.
Both Evangelidis and Srinivasan agreed that India isn’t just a consumer market, it’s the global testbed for AI innovation. With a young, digital-first population and a rapidly evolving media landscape, the country is uniquely positioned to drive the next wave of tech transformation.
“India is and will continue to be one of the highest user and usage market,” said Srinivasan.
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