Chip Giants Qualcomm and MediaTek Eye Local Sourcing in India

Global chipmakers Qualcomm and MediaTek, which power most smartphones and consumer electronics sold in India, are considering local sourcing and packaging to strengthen supply chains and make devices more affordable for Indian consumers.

Both companies have expressed willingness to tap into India’s semiconductor fabrication and packaging ecosystem if local production proves strategically and commercially viable.

MediaTek: “Ecosystem Taking Off”

Anku Jain, Managing Director of MediaTek India, said the company is evaluating opportunities in India’s expanding semiconductor ecosystem.

“India has had multiple false starts over the last 20 years, but this time, things are truly taking off. If it makes sense strategically and commercially, we’d be happy to source locally,” he told Moneycontrol.

He added that government PLI schemes have driven strong industry momentum and that over 10 semiconductor projects have already been announced.
MediaTek, though a fabless chipmaker, is optimistic about increased local collaboration and innovation opportunities.

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Qualcomm: Talks with Tata and Others

Akash Palkhiwala, COO and CFO of Qualcomm, confirmed that the company is in discussions with multiple suppliers, including the Tata Group, to utilise India’s emerging chip packaging capacity.

“The government is launching strong initiatives around semiconductors and ‘Made in India’. We’re supporting these efforts and plan to tap into that capacity as it scales,” he said.

Analysts See Strong India Role

According to Tarun Pathak, Research Director at Counterpoint Research, both chipmakers already have strong R&D bases in India and can shape the local semiconductor value chain.
He noted that they can build custom chip solutions and support companies requiring intellectual property and design expertise.

Expanding India’s R&D Presence

Both companies specialise in chip design for smartphones, tablets, IoT, and telecom equipment and are expanding their India R&D operations.
Jain said MediaTek’s India R&D centres work on 5G, AI, Wi-Fi, and hardware-software design, while also supporting local partners.

Palkhiwala highlighted that Qualcomm’s R&D presence has grown significantly over the past five years, supported by India’s strong engineering talent pool and customer proximity.

India Semiconductor Mission and Local Projects

Under the ₹76,000-crore India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), the government has approved 10 semiconductor projects worth ₹1.6 lakh crore across six states.

In August, four new projects worth ₹4,594 crore were cleared, including facilities by Micron, CG Semi, Tata Electronics, and Kaynes OSAT, which together represent ₹66,000 crore in investments.

These companies are expected to launch chip prototypes this year, with commercial rollouts likely by next year. While full-scale fabrication plants are under construction, pilot lines and testing setups are nearing completion.

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