MediaTek sees major boost as Indian EV makers adopt AI, HPC solutions

Vast AI talent pool and electric vehicle makers' attitude to adopt artificial intelligence and powerful computing offer a big opportunity in India for MediaTek, a senior company official said.

MediaTek Director for Product Marketing -- Automotive Platform -- Rita Wu told PTI the semiconductor company is looking to penetrate deeper in India's automotive sector with a strategic focus on AI, scalable system-on-chips (SoCs), and next-gen connectivity solutions.

"I think the Indian market has a lot of talent in AI. The second thing is OEMs' (Original Equipment Manufacturers) attitude. They are very interested in AI and want to try their best to adapt to the offloads in their vehicles. It's not only AI, but they are also looking for powerful computing to support more high-end solutions. That very important and very good for India market," Wu said.

Wu outlined three major industry shifts shaping their roadmap agentic -- AI adoption, increasing demand for high-performance compute capabilities (CPU, GPU, NPU), and enhanced power efficiency tailored for electric vehicles (EVs).

She said that demand for energy efficiency technology will be high in EVs because power is very crucial for the segment.

From making chips for mobile phones, MediaTek has diversified offerings to providing technology for the automobile sector, to satellite communications.

MediaTek Automotive Platform Director for Europe Product Marketing Sharique Khan said that even EV two-wheeler makers in India have started using the company's AI-enabled chips for infotainment systems.

"We see that in the next three to four years, there will be adoption of AI and high computing, depending on the cost segment in India, from premium and scale down to the entry segment," Khan said.

He said the rising demand for AI-powered cockpit infotainment across segments in India is one of the key aspects that makes it strategically important for MediaTek.

When asked about volumes for semiconductors, Khan said volumes typically start with premium segments and eventually cascade down.

He said customised solutions will also play an important role in the Indian EV market.