Qualcomm taps India's auto tech potential in $8 billion growth push

Time of India

30-07-2025

With an existing base of 22,000 engineers in India, it is further open to strategic acquisitions of
Indian startups
to deepen its local R&D and product capabilities in the mobility space. In an interaction with ET's Shubhangi Bhatia and Muntazir Abbas,
Nakul Duggal
, Group General Manager – Automotive and Industrial & Embedded IoT at
Qualcomm Technologies
talks about company's India strategy, market potential, two-wheeler segment, revenue targets, ADAS adoption, and Google partnership.
Edited excerpts:
How do you see the Indian market unfolding for Qualcomm?
It's really about the level of attention we're giving to the Indian market, and that's driven by the future opportunity we see. As the market evolves from being relatively low on digital integration to becoming increasingly digital-first, the potential becomes more compelling.
How is Qualcomm viewing the transformation of the automotive sector in India, especially given its extensive work with global OEMs? How do you see India's journey in this space?
I began visiting India with a focus on the automotive sector about six or seven years ago, when the spotlight was on EVs and digital-first platforms. It was also my first real exposure to localisation. I observed every major automaker had figured out how to adapt global platforms to meet local needs. But, this process is complex, because you need to build a platform that's competitive within the local ecosystem while still solving challenges that are being addressed in other parts of the world. We were struck by how some OEMs– particularly those operating in highly price-sensitive segments–heavily rely on their Tier-1 suppliers in this effort, and others were focused on bringing differentiation in-house to own the value they created, even if it meant taking on more risk.
Over time, global OEMs were putting pressure on the market, and Indian OEMs were increasingly looking outward, observing trends and capabilities emerging abroad. It was clear that everyone needed to figure out how to differentiate. The question shifted from 'if' to 'how'; whether to build in-house, and whether they had the people, culture, and risk appetite. Our role is to support that journey, whether by enabling partners to build on our platforms or working directly with capable OEMs. We've approached India like any global market, to localise solutions to fit.
What are the key challenges you're observing in the Indian market, and how is Qualcomm, as a global technology leader, addressing them?
There is always a degree of cost sensitivity in the market. But at the same time, I believe we're at an inflection point where customers are now willing to pay more for features they truly value. For instance, we spoke with two manufacturers who shared an interesting insight. They produce a specific motorcycle model in two variants: one with a digital cluster and another with an analog. They initially built 20 per cent of the bikes with digital clusters and 80 per cent with analog ones.
The digital version sold out immediately, while demand for the analog version remained largely unchanged. And the price difference was just ₹500 to ₹1,000. This shows that if you tap into the customer's desire for modern, engaging features, something that feels unique and enhances their experience, they're ready to pay a little more. It's about creating a seamless experience that people naturally want to interact with, something that goes beyond what their phone alone can offer.
How have you seen investment trends among automakers evolve over the past decade, particularly with connectivity now taking center stage?
Yes, the first major shift we've seen is that automakers now recognise the need to own their differentiation. They can no longer rely on tier-1 suppliers to define what makes their products unique. Previously, OEMs would make superficial changes to standardised platforms, by altering colours, layouts, or button placements, while the core software remained identical. That model no longer works. Today, it's not just about customisation, it's about owning the entire user experience.
Take our work with Epic Games, for example. By integrating Unreal Engine, which is a high-end graphics platform not traditionally part of automotive, we've enabled OEMs to build sophisticated, custom interfaces. But, this also means OEMs must invest in internal capabilities: learning the tools, specifying design requirements, and driving their own UX vision.
This shift deliberately puts control back in the hands of the OEM. If they don't step up and their competitors do, they risk falling behind with outdated interfaces. And as soon as one brand launches a standout digital feature, the rest will be asking, 'How do we match that, and who can help us get there?'
How is the Qualcomm Snapdragon Digital Chassis supporting Indian automakers during the course of their transformation? Also, could you share more about your partnership with Google and integration into the ecosystem?
The digital chassis is fundamentally about simplifying what OEMs have traditionally sourced from tier-1 suppliers. Typically, automakers interact with a box offering fixed features, without visibility into how the system is built. Our approach changes as we educate and empower OEMs to make informed decisions and co-develop complete, end-to-end solutions with us.
We have partnered with Google for over a decade across automotive and smartphones. In the digital chassis, our collaboration focuses on integrating Google's consumer experiences, like Maps, Android OS, voice assistants, and now Gemini AI, into the vehicle environment.
However, vehicles require these features to coexist with safety-critical, real-time systems, which is something beyond Google's traditional smartphone focus. We address that by offering a pre-integrated platform with Google's ecosystem built in, dramatically reducing the complexity and friction for automakers.
How do you see ADAS adoption evolving in India over the next three to five years? What are the key challenges, particularly around infrastructure, and how prepared do you think OEMs are to drive this transition?
India has a unique opportunity to leapfrog by building intelligent infrastructure from the outset. Situational awareness, enabled by technologies like road-mounted cameras, can significantly reduce congestion and accidents by alerting drivers in real time about hazards such as animals, pedestrians, or unlit parked vehicles.
Having lived in India, I understand how unpredictable road conditions can be. Embedding intelligence into infrastructure can address this complexity and dramatically improve safety outcomes.
Globally, we have seen success with similar systems. If there's one area where we'd like to influence policy, it's ensuring that newly built government infrastructure is designed to be intelligent and capable of broadcasting real-time data.
We are ready to work with our partners to integrate V2X (vehicle-to-everything) into vehicles to support this vision. China offers a strong example– five years ago, new highways there included V2X support, and drivers were issued portable units at toll booths to receive real-time alerts. This approach improved road safety without waiting for all vehicles to be V2X-equipped.
What is your target revenue from the automobile sector business worldwide in the next few years?
We are on track to reach $8 billion revenue by 2029. Currently, we earn around $950 million in quarterly revenue from the automobile business.
Are you open to acquiring some new companies, especially start-ups from India in the auto tech sector?
Yes, all the time. We invest heavily and many times we acquire. We are open to working and acquiring start-ups coming from India.