Rituparna Mandal is the General Manager of MediaTek Bangalore. In addition, she is the Director of the Advanced Technology team where she is responsible for custom foundation IP and advanced CPU designs across MediaTek products. She also leads the SoC Design Development center for MediaTek Bangalore. We got a chance to interview her and asked the following questions:
- Kindly tell us about MediaTek’s R&D Centres in India and how are they scaling up to strengthen their presence here.
MediaTek’s R&D hub in Bangalore, along with our Noida facility, serves as the cornerstone of our highly efficient operations both within India and on the global platform. Both these centres are working towards enhancing our technological prowess and creating innovations that set us apart from other players. With our sights firmly set on robust growth and expansion within the Indian ecosystem, MediaTek’s R&D hub is geared up to scale its efficiency and capacity, particularly in the realm of next-generation technologies.
India holds a pivotal position in MediaTek’s strategic vision, and we have reiterated our commitment to supporting the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative by investing in nurturing local Indian talent and expanding our capabilities to foster innovation, for India and global market. MediaTek plan to continuously scale up and actively recruiting from Indian campuses to strengthen our research and product design capabilities in both Bangalore and Noida.
- Can you give us an idea about what kind of products are being developed in MediaTek India’s R&D centres?
MediaTek has emerged as no.1 brand globally for smartphones, VADs, Smart TVs, Arm based Chromebooks, connectivity & networking and more. MediaTek’s R&D centers in India work closely with the global R&D teams towards of cutting-edge technologies for smartphones, smart home devices, Chromebooks and other consumer electronics products. They are broadly divided into three categories: semiconductor design, software development, and system-level integration.
In smartphone chipsets, MediaTek’s India centers contribute for designing and optimizing hardware components, developing software drivers, and ensuring the integration of various features such as camera enhancements, AI capabilities, and connectivity solutions. With 5G driving several innovations in the sector, a great share of MediaTek R&D efforts are channelled to drive advancements in 5G chipsets, modems, and related technologies to address the dynamic requirements of the OEMs and ODMs.
Considering the importance of AI as the next major driver for innovations, MediaTek actively incorporates AI capabilities into its chipsets. The R&D centers are engaged in optimizing AI algorithms, developing AI hardware accelerators, and integrating AI features into MediaTek’s products. In connectivity segment, there is focus on connectivity solutions like Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth and cellular modem technologies. The India R&D also focuses on the development of chipsets and platforms for IoT devices. This includes designing high-performance energy-efficient chips for smart home devices, wearables, automotive and other IoT applications.
In software segment, the focus is on the development of various firmware and device drivers, as well as the optimization of different software to ensure seamless performance and user experiences on devices powered by MediaTek chipsets. A significant share of MediaTek’s R&D in India also focuses on the development of multimedia and imaging solutions, including camera enhancements, video processing, and audio technologies for smartphones and other devices.
- The semiconductor industry in India has seen remarkable growth in the recent time, especially with the government’s ‘Make in India Initiative’. According to you, what are some of the key challenges that the semiconductor industry is facing and how is MediaTek working to address these challenges?
We find ourselves amidst the ongoing global digital revolution, which has correspondingly driven up the demand for smart devices. The manufacturing of semiconductors is an intricate undertaking, necessitating cutting-edge technologies, requisite infrastructure, and a proficient workforce. Our primary emphasis lies in the development of our product portfolio, and we are exceptionally optimistic about the current market dynamics and demand. MediaTek is dedicated to extending its reach to a broader customer base and exploring new market segments. We accomplish this through increased investments in R&D, along with strategic collaborations with OEMs and tech enterprises. We’ve significant growth in the Indian market. Our main objective revolves around relentless innovation, geared towards satisfying the evolving requirements of our industry.
- What would be the exciting industry developments MediaTek is planning to look forward to in 2024?
MediaTek is building on the success with ground-breaking innovations in the industry, the development around 3nm process being the latest. MediaTek is planning the volume production of the flagship Dimensity SoC using TSMC’s advanced 3nm technology next year. TSMC’s 3nm technology offers significant improvements in speed, power efficiency, and logic density compared to its previous generation, enhancing the competitiveness of MediaTek’s products in the flagship market. Further, MediaTek has recently launched MediaTek Dimensity 9200+, 7200 6100+, and partnered with NVIDIA to deliver a complete range of in-vehicle AI cabin solutions for the next generation of software-defined vehicles.
Also, we anticipate a significant surge in the demand for high-end 5G chipsets in the near future, propelled by the rapid expansion of 5G networks. The growth of 5G is expected to drive a transformative shift in digital adoption trends and enablement of several new applications powered by 5G, such as those in automotive and healthcare sectors. Supported by robust government initiatives and strong industry collaboration, we envision a promising outlook for the proliferation of smartphones and intelligent devices across various domains, including smart homes, automotive, and diverse IoT applications.
- According to you, what kind of technology trends needs to be followed by industry leaders for the growth of the country?
Like any other country in the world, India must embrace advanced digital technologies to propel its growth to the next level. With the launch of 5G in October 2022, we’ve witnessed an uptick in new technology trends and the development of use cases centred around 5G. Furthermore, cutting-edge technologies like AI and Blockchain are ushering in the next wave of tech-driven transformation across all sectors of society. It is imperative that the industry swiftly adopts these trends to harness the efficiency and productivity gains they offer, to foster developments not only in the sector, but the country as a whole.
Another important aspect to emphasize is cybersecurity. As digital adoption surges among India’s diverse population, instances of cyber fraud, primarily targeting individuals for financial exploitation, are on the rise. With the rise in smartphone adoption, this threat has the potential to escalate in both scale and scope, posing a significant risk. There is also the possibility of more extensive exploitation that could disrupt the operations of organizations or even jeopardize the nation as a whole. Therefore, while promoting technologies that enhance productivity and digital inclusion among citizens, the government must also prioritize investments in strategies to counteract these malicious activities.
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