NEW DELHI: US-based semiconductor giant Qualcomm is localizing its automotive module production in India and actively supporting its key ecosystem partners as they shift manufacturing to the country, a senior company official has revealed.
Nakul Duggal, Qualcomm Technologies’ Group General Manager for Automotive, Industrial, and Embedded IoT, told PTI that the company is making significant investments in India to back local automotive firms.
“We manufacture many modules that are typically produced in Taiwan, China, or Korea. However, we are now focusing on localizing production in India. We also collaborate closely with our Tier 1 partners to support their manufacturing transitions to India,” Duggal said.
As a fabless company, Qualcomm designs chips but outsources their manufacturing. “Our focus is on creating opportunities within our supply chain to direct production locally,” he added.
Qualcomm employs about 22,000 people in India, comprising roughly 60% of its global workforce. Duggal noted that the company has established a local team dedicated to supporting domestic car manufacturers.
The company has been particularly optimistic about automotive chipsets, especially for electric vehicles. Qualcomm has partnered with leading carmakers like Tata Motors, Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki, and Hyundai, supplying chipsets aimed at modernizing vehicles.
Their Snapdragon Elite chipset platform supports telematics, infotainment, and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Duggal mentioned that by 2026, around a dozen vehicle models are expected to feature their recently launched Snapdragon Cockpit Elite and Snapdragon Ride Elite SoCs, announced in October 2024 and delivered to customers early this year.
India’s significant domestic automotive manufacturing base, encompassing both local and global companies, creates a strong demand for products tailored specifically to the Indian market. “Instead of importing globally designed products, there is a growing need for OEMs to develop solutions that address local requirements. This drives the need for engineering and creative capabilities to meet regional needs, a trend we are beginning to see,” Duggal explained.
He emphasized that building automotive products tailored for the local market offers a competitive edge, as demonstrated by China’s success in this approach.
Qualcomm’s automotive division currently contributes about 10% of its global revenue, estimated between USD 3.6 billion and USD 3.8 billion. The company aims to double this automotive revenue to approximately USD 8 billion by 2029.
