Ai+ "Made in India" Phone Scandal: Is Your Data Really Being Sent to China?
A 45-day forensic audit and three separate YouTube investigations claim the "fully sovereign" Indian smartphone brand Ai+ is quietly built on Chinese hardware, software, and trackers. Here's everything that's been found so far — and what Ai+ has said in response.
For the past few months, India's smartphone market has been gripped by what many tech YouTubers are calling the country's biggest phone controversy in years. The brand at the center of it, Ai+, built its entire identity around one promise: a "fully sovereign," made-in-India smartphone, free of Chinese hardware, Chinese software, and the data risks that come with both. Boot screens reportedly displayed the line "Your data stays safe in India," and founder Madhav Sheth publicly criticized rival brands for depending on software and updates from abroad.
That promise is now being tested in public — by independent reviewers, by a Delhi High Court case, and by a wave of investigative videos that claim to show the opposite of what the brand advertised.
What Is Ai+, and Why Did It Get So Popular?
Ai+ is an Indian smartphone startup founded by Madhav Sheth, who previously held senior roles at OPPO, Realme, Honor India, and Alcatel India — meaning he understood the smartphone market better than almost anyone launching a new brand. Ai+ entered with budget devices like the Pulse series (starting around ₹4,499) and the Nova series, and later premium models including the Nova 2 Ultra, Nova 2 5G, and a foldable called the Nova Flip.
The brand's pitch was simple and patriotic: phones "expertly engineered and meticulously built in India," with user data stored in Indian Google Cloud regions, and software said to be secure enough to be "certified for government" use. In a market where most "Made in India" phones are merely assembled in India using Chinese designs, Ai+ promised to be different — fully sovereign, top to bottom.
The Investigation That Started It All
The controversy escalated when several Indian tech creators — including GyanTherapy and TechWiser — said their testing had turned up Chinese-made apps and software patterns lifted from existing Android skins. Soon after, globally known tech YouTuber Mrwhosetheboss (Arun Maini) published a deep-dive investigation, followed by another 45-day forensic network audit from a separate creator, examining exactly what these phones send, where, and to whom.
What the investigations claim to have found
- Pre-installed, undeletable apps: Apps named Clean Assistant, Phone Clone, and Mobile Butler were reportedly found on multiple Ai+ devices, linked back to a China-based company called Sprocomm Technologies.
- Privacy policy red flags: The privacy policy tied to these apps reportedly states that data may be collected from user input, automatic usage tracking, and third-party sources — language reviewers say contradicts the "your data stays in India" promise.
- Rebranded Chinese hardware: The Ai+ Nova Flip was identified by reviewers as essentially identical to the Chinese ZTE Nubia Flip 2, reportedly sharing the same battery, processor, camera hardware, and internal components carrying visible ZTE identifiers.
- A wearable with the same pattern: The Ai+ "Wearbuds" — marketed as designed and patented in India — was linked to a Chinese company called Aipower, which had publicly referenced its cooperation with the brand.
- Software built in China: An Android researcher cited in the investigations reportedly confirmed the disputed apps were built in China, with package names simply renamed to look like native parts of Ai+'s custom OS.
How Ai+ Responded
Ai+'s response has evolved over several rounds of questioning. According to reporting on the matter, founder Madhav Sheth has offered a few different explanations at different times:
- He suggested the Chinese-linked apps appeared only on early or international test units, not retail Indian units — a claim reviewers say they disproved by purchasing fresh devices from Amazon and Flipkart and finding the same apps.
- He reportedly described Chinese phones as not being a consumer risk in his view, framing his anti-China marketing as being about economic and technical know-how rather than user privacy.
- On the Nova Flip, he is reported to have acknowledged the device originates from ZTE, arguing a small disclosure on the packaging was sufficient — though this wasn't mentioned at the public launch event.
Separately, Ai+ pursued legal action against some of the creators who published critical reviews, reportedly securing a Delhi High Court injunction that led to several videos being taken down. The brand has since said this legal response was "taken in haste" and signaled it may reconsider that approach.
In a formal statement, Ai+'s Head of Brand, Marketing and Growth, Archi Gogoi, said the company had "taken note of the observations and feedback shared by the tech community" and that "trust must be earned every single day" — without directly rebutting the specific allegations about Chinese software, hardware sourcing, or the legal action against creators.
Why This Controversy Matters Beyond One Phone Brand
India is one of the largest smartphone markets in the world, with hundreds of millions of users, and a large share of devices sold are designed or manufactured in China. Ai+'s entire business pitch was built on being the exception to that rule — a genuinely sovereign, privacy-first alternative. If the allegations hold up, this isn't just a single brand's credibility problem; it raises a broader question for Indian consumers: how do you verify a "Made in India, data stays in India" claim when the underlying hardware and software supply chain is largely invisible to the average buyer?
It also highlights a recurring pattern reviewers have pointed to in the broader Indian phone market — devices marketed heavily on national pride while still relying on Chinese Original Design Manufacturers (ODMs) behind the scenes.
Timeline of the Ai+ Controversy
| Stage | What Happened |
|---|---|
| Initial claims | GyanTherapy and TechWiser allege Chinese apps and software similarities on Ai+ devices |
| Major investigation | Mrwhosetheboss publishes a detailed video investigation, including direct calls with CEO Madhav Sheth |
| Hardware claims | Tech Bar alleges the Nova Flip is a rebranded ZTE Nubia Flip 2; later verified with ZTE-labeled components |
| Legal action | Ai+ reportedly secures a Delhi High Court injunction against critical creators, forcing takedowns |
| Company response | Ai+ issues a public statement acknowledging feedback without directly rebutting the findings |
| 45-day audit | A separate creator publishes a forensic network audit of the Nova 2 Ultra, Nova 2 5G, and Pulse 2 |
| Damage control | Ai+ offers to send unreleased Nova 2 Neo and Nova 2 Pro units to reviewers before public sale, with no embargo |
Frequently Asked Questions
Independent investigators have alleged that certain pre-installed apps on some Ai+ devices were built by a China-based company and have privacy policies permitting broad data collection. Ai+ has not directly denied or confirmed this point in detail; it has said the apps were present only on test units, a claim multiple reviewers say they could not reproduce on retail units. As of now, this remains a serious, well-documented allegation rather than a court-confirmed fact.
Ai+ is an Indian-founded and Indian-headquartered company. However, reviewers allege that several of its products — including the Nova Flip — are built on hardware from Chinese Original Design Manufacturers such as Sprocomm and are near-identical to existing Chinese phones like the ZTE Nubia Flip 2.
Ai+ has not issued a full, specific rebuttal of the core technical findings. Its public statement acknowledged "feedback from the tech community" and promised improvements, while its CEO offered shifting explanations across different interviews about why the disputed apps and hardware were present.
Ai+ reportedly obtained a court injunction that resulted in critical review videos being taken down. The company later said this legal response was taken "in haste" and signaled it may revisit that decision.
That depends on your priorities. If data privacy and verified manufacturing origin are critical to you, it's worth waiting to see how Ai+ responds to the upcoming independent reviewer testing window before purchasing. If you're mainly buying for price-to-spec value, the allegations don't necessarily affect day-to-day performance, but you may want to check for software updates that reportedly removed some of the disputed apps.
Ai+ says it has made software, governance, and process improvements since the controversy began, and is now shipping unreleased models directly to independent reviewers before public sale, with results published in real time. Whether this fully resolves the underlying hardware-sourcing questions is still being evaluated by the tech community.
The Bottom Line
The Ai+ controversy is a reminder that "Made in India" marketing doesn't automatically mean a fully Indian supply chain, and a privacy promise printed on a boot screen isn't the same as a verified privacy policy. Whether Ai+ can repair its credibility will likely depend on what independent reviewers find during its new no-embargo testing program — and whether the company finally addresses the specific technical findings instead of general statements about "learning and evolving."
We'll continue tracking this story as Ai+'s reviewer testing window plays out and update this article with new developments.
This article summarizes and paraphrases findings reported in independent tech-creator investigations and news coverage of the Ai+ controversy. Claims described as allegations have not been independently verified by a court; Ai+'s public statements are represented as reported. This is not legal or technical certification advice — readers should review primary sources before drawing final conclusions.