Exec Talk by Anku Jain, Managing Director, MediaTek India
There is a surge of tech innovation in India, a movement which has been called India’s “Techade.” Consider that India is the fifth largest economy globally and has over 130,000 startups—100 of which are unicorns (valued at over $1 billion). Additionally, India has had the fastest 5G rollout and the country is now the second largest 5G market in the world. MediaTek has played a pivotal role in this digital transformation, making great technology more accessible to Indian consumers to improve their daily lives and provide them with new opportunities.
In this post, I'll explain how MediaTek is bringing premium smartphone technologies to the mass market, how the company is delivering fast and reliable connectivity to Indian consumers, and how MediaTek is driving the automotive industry forward.
Mobile
Counterpoint Research recently named India as the second largest smartphone market globally. The firm also found that 51% of smartphone chipsets in India are powered by MediaTek. Almost every household in the country has a mobile phone, and for many people a smartphone is the primary way that they connect to the Internet.
The availability of affordable smartphones has been a key driver of smartphone growth in India. Brands like Lava, OPPO, Realme, POCO, and Tecno have helped make devices more accessible with MediaTek-powered 5G smartphones priced as low as Rs 8,000 (around $94 USD) and 4G models that are even more budget-friendly. Thanks to MediaTek’s technology, these inexpensive smartphones have excellent cameras, gaming capabilities, and long battery life—without breaking the bank. These devices also integrate features that are particularly important to the Indian market, such as comprehensive support for NSA and SA 5G networks and carrier aggregation. MediaTek is even powering reasonably priced smartphones with dual displays, such as the Lava Agni 3 with our Dimensity 7300X chipset. This stylish device has a large front screen and mini screen on the back and is priced around Rs 21,000 (under $250 USD).
We’re also seeing growing demand in the premium and ultra-premium segment. Counterpoint estimates that devices priced over Rs 45,000 (around $350 USD) will represent 35% of the premium Android segment in India by the end of 2025. These ultra-premium devices allow consumers with more discretionary spending to take advantage of higher performance smartphones that leverage AI capabilities and other higher-end features. The Dimensity 8000 series powers popular premium smartphones including the POCO x7 Pro and OPPO Reno 13, which bring consumers high-performance and power capabilities. MediaTek is also powering top-of-the-line devices with our Dimensity 9400 and Dimensity 9300 series. Whether you’re looking for the most economical smartphone or are willing to splurge, MediaTek is delivering incredible smartphone experiences.
Connectivity
The Indian government has made it a priority to bridge the digital divide in an effort to get everyone in the country connected to the internet. Having internet access is not only important for people to stay in touch with friends and family, it’s also important for education, healthcare, shopping, work, and much more.
The launch of Reliance Jio in 2016 helped make mobile data affordable and accessible to Indian consumers. Now there are many companies in India offering competitive mobile and broadband data plans; in fact, data prices in India are much cheaper than a lot of other countries.
MediaTek’s Dimensity series is bringing fast and reliable 5G connectivity to smartphones and tablets, while our Helio series caters to the 4G segment. Our chipsets are designed to maximize performance across 5G and 4G networks, while also optimizing battery life for a better user experience. Additionally, MediaTek’s Wi-Fi portfolio is powering seamless connectivity in routers, smart TVs, smart appliances, and many other connected devices in the smart home and beyond.
We’re also helping to accelerate adoption of 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) in India. 5G FWA consumer premise equipment (CPE) allows telecom operators to address last-mile connectivity challenges and bring fiber-like experiences to consumers and enterprises without laying down cables. At MWC 2024, the Indian company HFCL unveiled its 5G FWA Indoor CPE powered by the MediaTek T750. This device delivers 5G speeds right out of the box. We also power key household connectivity devices from Airtel and Jio.
Automotive
India is the world’s largest manufacturer of two-wheeler vehicles, with over 21 million vehicles produced annually. Two-wheelers are not only more affordable than other types of vehicles, they are also better for navigating traffic—which is super helpful in crowded cities like Delhi and Mumbai. We’re also starting to see an uptick in electric two-wheelers in India. Electric vehicles (EVs) are designed with sustainability in mind, helping to reduce carbon emissions and reliance on fossil fuels. MediaTek powers many two-wheelers in the country, including the Kinetic Green Flex and Kinetic Green E-Luna X1, which are both EVs.
Jio Things and MediaTek recently collaborated on a 4G Smart Android Digital Cluster and Smart Module for two-wheeler EVs. The collaboration leverages MediaTek’s chipset technology and Jio Things’ digital solutions to enable real-time data analytics, customizable interfaces, voice recognition for effortless control, Cluster OS for seamless integration with vehicle controllers, and IoT-enabled charging infrastructure, along with a Smart Battery Management System optimized for EVs.
MediaTek also works with Indian automakers designing four-wheel vehicles, powering infotainment systems to keep people connected while they are on the road. Some of the vehicles using MediaTek’s infotainment solutions include Tata Punch.eV and Skoda Slavia.
MediaTek India
It’s been incredible to witness India’s tech transformation over the past two decades that I’ve worked at MediaTek India. We opened our first office in India in 2004, and MediaTek India now has more than 1,000 employees spread across offices in Bangalore, Delhi, and Mumbai. These sites are dedicated to software development, IP and chip design, wireless communications, field trials and customer support, and ensuring standards compliance. It’s been a pleasure seeing firsthand how MediaTek’s technology is enhancing and enriching the lives of Indian consumers, and I look forward to many more years of tech innovation.