Qualcomm to expand investments in India, eyes growth in AI-PC market

Even though we are not even two months into the year, we have already launched our Snapdragon Experience Zone at the Croma store in Juhu (in Mumbai). This is just the beginning, as we plan to roll out many more zones across the country. These will showcase on-device AI capabilities not only on PCs but also on various other devices.

This year, we are significantly scaling up. We will make more investments and forge new partnerships.

We also have several Indian LLMs at our demo booth, showcasing the user experiences enabled by on-device AI.

This year, it is crucial, especially in India, to demonstrate the power of AI-powered PCs (AIPCs). Qualcomm is also working with IIT- Gandhinagar and other Indian partners to expand the large language model (LLM) ecosystem.

With Asus's partnership, how many OEMs now offer Snapdragon-powered PCs?

All of them. India is a unique market in terms of pricing, unlike other regions. We have a strong understanding of price points, incentives, and other factors and we are excited about our ability to hit these competitive price points.

You are bringing your portfolio to a market that is not rapidly growing. What is your strategy for making an impact?

If you look at the traditional PC market — what I call “my dad’s PC” — it is indeed stagnant or growing very little. However, we are introducing a new category with AI-powered experiences on the device.

Think of it as an extension of your smartphone, enabling more AI use cases directly on the device. This is aimed at India’s younger generation, which is not accustomed to buying a PC and constantly plugging it into a power source.

Battery life is a game-changer — lasting for days while supporting AI-driven features like noise cancellation, which are highly relevant to users. The AI PC category is growing rapidly, especially in mobile-first India. We are very excited about the potential of AI PCs here.

Will retail customers or enterprises drive AI PC adoption?

With the Snapdragon X chipset, we are initially focusing on retail customers. Our partnerships with Flipkart and Croma are already in place.

Enterprise adoption will follow. It is just a matter of time before businesses recognise the use cases that AI PCs can unlock for them.

The government is pushing local PC and laptop manufacturing under the IT hardware PLI scheme. Are you collaborating with the government and OEM partners for a local manufacturing ecosystem?

Qualcomm works closely with our OEM partners, who, in turn, engage with the government. If the government seeks insights or guidance, we collaborate on multiple fronts — not just for PCs but also for smartphones, telecom hardware, and more. This includes both design and production elements.

Qualcomm lost considerable market share to MediaTek in the mobile segment. Do you have a strategy to regain market share?

Our focus is on delivering a premium experience. Last year, we announced the Snapdragon 4S Gen 2, and we are pleased about the volumes and price points it is reaching. There are phones from Xiaomi and Poco already.

We are committed to bringing a premium experience not just in flagship devices but also across different price segments where we aim to be highly competitive.

India is a key focus market and you will see significant efforts from us in this space.

How have Xiaomi and Poco smartphones performed?

They are both performing exceptionally well. The devices and form factors they have introduced are impressive. The chipset was launched right after Diwali and we expect strong sales over the coming months.

Last year, Qualcomm made significant R&D investments in India, particularly in the Chennai centre, with expansions in other locations. Will this investment continue?

Absolutely. Our team in India plays a complementary role to our global teams. We have already expanded our Chennai facility and announced our new Aerocity, Delhi office in December. India is an exciting market with a young population and a rapidly evolving tech ecosystem. There is no reason for us not to continue investing here.

Qualcomm’s India strategy is built on three pillars. The first is delivering premium experiences across all segments. We are not just in flagship devices; we aim to bring high-end experiences to a broad range of products.

Secondly, Snapdragon for India. We are developing products specifically for Indian consumers and industries.

Lastly, Snapdragon in India includes supporting initiatives like Make in India and Design in India and investing in the Indian semiconductor and AI ecosystem.

We also have mentorship programmes at our Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai facilities, further strengthening our commitment to India.

Can you share insights on the Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) category? You recently secured a deal with Bharti Airtel and Nokia for FWA devices.

FWA is a game-changer for anyone needing high-speed internet without traditional fibre connections. We are working with Jio and Airtel; you can already see substantial adoption numbers. The potential for wireless fibre connectivity in India is immense and we are excited about expanding this further.

We have seen multiple announcements about Qualcomm’s partnerships with automakers and EV manufacturers. How will this business grow in India?

Last year was our first significant year in the auto segment. We announced collaborations with Royal Enfield, Mahindra, and Tata among others. All major OEMs are actively engaged with us for connectivity, in-cockpit technology and safety features.

This will be a huge year for our automotive business, which includes passenger vehicles and two-wheelers. We see tremendous potential in this sector.

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