The Volt Post recently met Manish Kothari, Senior Vice President of Software Development and Head of Operations – India, SILICON LABS. The viz-a-viz was concurrent to an event organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) titled ‘Semiconductor Demand Strategy: Navigating the Future of Global Technology Supply Chains’. Below-edited Volt-Full excerpts are an elaborated text form of the video interview we lately streamed on our YouTube Channel, i.e. Coffee Club With The Volt (#CCTV) – Watch Here.
Mr Kothari, what brings Silicon Labs to this event, purportedly focusing on semiconductor demand strategy?
Silicon Labs is a global leader in IoT, specializing in wirelessly connected products that empower developers to create a seamless wireless ecosystem. In India, we are witnessing several positive developments that are driving growth in the IoT sector.
Currently, the IoT market in India is valued at approximately $25 billion, and it is projected to double within the next five years, growing at a steady rate of 15% annually. This represents a significant opportunity for industry players.
One of the key growth drivers for IoT sector in India has been the Government of India’s Advanced Smart Metering Infrastructure initiative, which aims to transform 250 million electric meters into smart meters. Silicon Labs is playing a crucial role in this initiative. Last year, we shipped 4 million of our FG System-on-Chip (SoC) products through our partners, including CyanConnode and others, to support this mission.
India has firmly established itself as a key market for IoT innovation. Given this momentum, it is an opportune time to focus on increasing demand, fostering local innovation, enhancing domestic manufacturing, and strengthening the IoT ecosystem.
As an industry, we must continue to collaborate, invest, and drive forward initiatives that support India’s vision of becoming a global hub for IoT development.
Can you tell us about the recent center of innovation in terms of things that you’ve established?
To propel IoT sector in India, our mission has been centered around creating demand and encouraging India to develop its own products and solutions tailored to the country’s unique needs.
To achieve this, we have focused on fostering innovation at the grassroots level, particularly within universities. As part of this effort, we have been establishing Centers of Excellence (CoE) for IoT—innovation hubs within academic institutions where students, professors, and researchers can access our advanced technology and development boards to build innovative products and solutions.
Last year, we successfully launched these centers at institutions such as IoT Hyderabad and Shiv Nadar University. Building on this momentum, we plan to establish an additional 10 centers this year.
The overarching goal is to empower India to develop indigenous solutions that can drive industry transformation, enhance quality of life, and fuel economic growth. By investing in foundational initiatives of the IoT sector in India. We are embarking on a long-term journey to strengthen India’s position as a global leader in IoT innovation.
So how does the company aim to build promising careers in IoT and semiconductor industries in India?
Silicon Labs is a pure-play, IoT-focused company, and we have established a significant presence in India. Today, we have over 500 engineers in our Hyderabad office, and when including our partners, this number exceeds 700. As a highly IT-centric organization, we hold more than 1,500 patents globally, reflecting our commitment to innovation.
Our breadth and depth in IoT technology are unparalleled, and we are dedicated to bringing these capabilities to India while driving adoption and growth in the market.
Key Focus Sectors in India
- Smart Cities: The smart city initiative is already gaining momentum, fueled by the Government of India’s infrastructure push. Our solutions are contributing to the development of intelligent, connected urban ecosystems.
- Smart Homes & Consumer IoT: The demand for connected home solutions is rapidly increasing, with smart homes becoming a mainstream trend in India.
- Retail: IoT applications in retail are emerging as a key growth area, enhancing operational efficiency and customer experiences.
- Healthcare: IoT-driven healthcare innovations are transforming patient monitoring, diagnostics, and overall healthcare delivery.
- Industrial IoT: With India’s growing industrial sector, IoT is playing a crucial role in automation, predictive maintenance, and operational optimization.
As India’s economy continues to expand, these five sectors present significant opportunities for growth, and Silicon Labs is committed to enabling this transformation through cutting-edge IoT solutions.
The strategic importance of India for Silicon Labs, and in a time when customers are asking for more geodiversity in the supply chains, so what is your anecdotal story for it?
Silicon Labs is a fabless semiconductor company, meaning we partner with manufacturers to build our products. India holds significant strategic importance for us in two key ways. First, we are not only developing products tailored for the Indian market but also contributing to global innovation.
Our India operations serve as a crucial R&D and design hub for Silicon Labs, complementing our headquarters in Austin. Secondly, India is emerging as a major end market for us. The IoT sector in India, currently valued at $25 billion, is projected to reach $50 billion by 2025, underscoring the growing demand for connected solutions.
Supply chain diversification is a critical topic for both us and our customers. A key question we often receive is, “How is Silicon Labs diversifying its supply chain?” To address this, we collaborate closely with our manufacturing partners to ensure resilience and adaptability in our supply strategies.
Several initiatives are shaping this approach. We work with our partners to support the development of new fabrication facilities, including in the U.S., while also exploring how India can integrate into the global semiconductor supply chain through the India Semiconductor Mission. As a fabless company, we rely on our partners’ diversification strategies to enhance supply chain flexibility and stability.
India has the potential to play a significant role in the evolving global semiconductor landscape, and we are keen to explore ways in which the country can contribute to supply chain diversification while strengthening its position in the industry.
