Indian smartphone brand Ai+ commits Rs 100 crore over five years to invite ethical hackers to test its devices, aiming to enhance trust and security ahead of broader ambitions in 5G, foldables, and ecosystem development.
Ai+, the Indian smartphone brand led by Madhav Sheth, has set aside Rs 100 crore over five years to invite ethical hackers to probe its devices for weaknesses, in an unusually public attempt to turn security testing into a marketing and trust-building exercise. The company says the initiative, called Project Trust+, will give developers and security researchers broad licence to test upcoming phones and help identify vulnerabilities before customers encounter them.
Sheth framed the move as a rejection of vague promises about digital safety. Speaking in the company’s announcement, he said security is not a fixed endpoint but something that must be proven and repeatedly improved. According to Ai+, the idea is to make trust visible by opening the devices to outside scrutiny rather than relying on internal claims alone.
The programme comes as Ai+ pushes to widen its ambitions beyond entry-level smartphones. Gadgets 360 reported that the brand sold nearly 10 lakh phones in 2025 and is targeting fivefold growth in 2026, alongside plans for 5G models, foldables, wearables, tablets and audio products. The company has also stressed privacy as part of its identity, saying user data is stored in India and that it wants to avoid rapid model churn that can confuse buyers.
Ai+ is also trying to deepen its manufacturing base. The Free Press Journal reported that the company has signed a five-year deal with Optiemus Electronics to make as many as 3 million devices in Noida, backed by a joint investment of Rs 125 crore. That broader push, together with Project Trust+, suggests Ai+ is trying to sell itself not just as another handset maker but as an Indian-led ecosystem built around software control, local production and user confidence.
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