Crime Today News
For India, where the workforce in the semiconductor manufacturing industry is still relatively new, it might take longer, Ku explained
India is still “some years away” from becoming a significant semiconductor manufacturing hub, primarily due to the current inadequacy of a skilled workforce, David Ku, Co-Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer at MediaTek stated on Wednesday.
Speaking to mediapersons, Ku highlighted the complexity and substantial time investment required for establishing such facilities. He noted that even in the US, with its established industry workforce, it typically takes four years from groundbreaking to mass production.
“For India, where the workforce in the semiconductor manufacturing industry is still relatively new, it might take longer,” Ku explained.
India’s R&D Potential
Despite the manufacturing challenges, Ku expressed optimism about India’s potential to leapfrog ahead of China in semiconductor research and development (R&D). He noted that several companies are now shifting their focus to India due to evolving geopolitical landscapes.
“From MediaTek’s perspective, even before the geopolitical shifts, we adopted a global operating center approach in India,” Ku said. He revealed that MediaTek’s India operations now boast over 1,000 engineers, making it the company’s second-largest R&D center globally.
This growth, he emphasised, was a gradual process, built over time, predating recent geopolitical considerations. Ku underscored that the primary reason for MediaTek’s significant global team in India was the “real talent” available in the country.
“For me, the geopolitical issue is actually somewhat impulsive, but finding the right talent, having the global operation, probably is the foundation, regardless of geopolitical issues,” Ku added, stressing the importance of talent over transient geopolitical concerns.”
MediaTek also views India as a crucial hub for software development, a significant component of its operations here. The company plans to increase its marketing and business exposure in India moving forward.
“From MediaTek perspective, actually even before the geopolitical scenes coming out, we have been adopting the global operating center already (in India). For example, India right now has 1,000 plus engineers and that’s the second biggest one in the world. And by the way, that’s actually taken time to built…we slowly built it way before the geopolitical coming out,” he said.
WiFi 7 and Satellite Communications
MediaTek also sees significant opportunities following the Indian government’s delicensing of the lower portion of the 6GHz band for Wi-Fi services. The company is already collaborating with telecom operators like Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel to develop innovative products utilizing the 6GHz band.
Thomas Ho, Marketing Director at MediaTek, stated that Indian operators perceive Wi-Fi 7 as a strategic tool to increase their average revenue per user (ARPU), add more value-added services, and position themselves as technology leaders, thereby enhancing their brand image.
“Conversations about the deployment of Wi-Fi 7 are happening in India, and the recent 6GHz delicensing news is expected to accelerate these discussions,” Ho confirmed. He noted that in leading markets like the US and Europe, tier-I operators and customers began issuing requests for quotations (RFQs) and designs exclusively for Wi-Fi 7 as early as late last year.
Regarding satellite communications, a sector poised for growth in India, Ho mentioned MediaTek’s work on customer premises equipment (CPEs), including hybrid set-top boxes capable of catering to both terrestrial and satellite requirements. The company, a supplier to Elon Musk’s Starlink, also acknowledged that while converged technology is ready, the costs of deployment remain significantly high.
(The writer is in Taiwan at the invitation of MediaTek)
Published on May 21, 2025
This article first appeared on The Hindu Business Line
📰 Crime Today News is proudly sponsored by DRYFRUIT & CO – A Brand by eFabby Global LLC
Design & Developed by Yes Mom Hosting
