MediaTek technology diaries 2023 flips through the promising technologies ushering into Viksit Bharat

A year ender technology feat that we all in the technology fraternity look forward to, MediaTek Technology Diaries was held last night in Delhi.  The event is a unique format that balances fun and freewheeling discussion where one can speak from the heart.  There is very brief formal discussion in the form of keynotes, fireside chats, and panel discussions.  Most of the remaining time is about having interactive discussion about technology and how it can impact the future. It’s a ‘carnival’ mood where we also have fun and joy among peers.

Tech Guru, whom I would now like to call Tech Gurudev 😊 owing to his stature, Rajiv Makhni in his own style brought his element of offroad driving to make it livelier.  But that’s not what I want to talk about.  I want to share about technologies that MediaTek showcased and discussed at the event that will play a significant role in India’s journey towards becoming Viksit Bharat by 2047.

MediaTek, is among few global technology players that has been an integral partner of India’s digital journey.  Not only does MediaTek bring in its global innovation to India, but its solutions also play a significant role in massifying these powerful innovations that have impacted millions of citizens and become part of our lifestyle.

Be it the mass spread of 3G or 4G smartphones, widespread adoption of Smart TVs, affordable Tablet PCs, powerful yet affordable routers in the personal electronics, or very specialised products like soundbox payment machines that were pioneered by Paytm, which made digital payments inclusive, MediaTek has powered millions of devices in India and continues to impact millions of Indians every day.

At the 13^th chapter of MediaTek Tech Diaries, the global semiconductor company showcased how its very relevant technologies for India will further increase its role in impacting millions of lives going forward.  From smartphone perspective, one of the priorities is going to be massification of 5G smartphones, where the entry level 5G smartphones priced below ₹10,000 will play crucial.  MediaTek has already shown in 2023 how several OEMs focusing on affordability of 5G smartphones chose them as their silicon partner.  This is going to intensify in 2024 and we are expecting to see several options in the affordable segment, especially in sub ₹10,000 range that will be powered by MediaTek.  However, this is not the only focus.  MediaTek has already showcased its flagship chipsets which can bring AI on the device as well as perform edge computing on these portable ‘super’ smartphones.  GenAI will be a key flavour of the ‘super’ smartphones that we will witness next year onwards.  These ‘super’ smartphones will start rolling in 2024 in the luxe segment (>₹50,000) to begin with, and we expect MediaTek to have a better stake in the segment to play than previous years.  We have already seen that several OEMs have started using MediaTek’s Dimensity portfolio in their flagship smartphones that are priced ₹50,000 and above.

For the immediate use cases in personal electronics as India marches the journey of becoming a Viksit Bharat, these technologies from MediaTek that will cater to both – enabling and experiential sides of the market – will address the needs of wide span of segments of the market.

Viksit Bharat is not just about our immediate present.  It is a journey that will encompass several technologies in due course of time as we tread the journey powered by technologies and innovations.  MediaTek showcased and discussed several technologies ranging from transformational technologies that will power automobiles of the future to the satellite connectivity brought to smartphones with its chipset.  All these technologies, at the moment, might look technologies of the fantasy world and at times very discreet. But as we move forward on the path of digital transformation, we will discover several synergies creating irreversible and indispensable impact.

India is no longer just a consumer of technology.  The government has made creation and development of technology an integral part of the vision of Viksit Bharat.  There is a never before focus on manufacturing of several electronics products in India for which a slew of measures has been announced by the government.  It does not stop here, we have also begun the journey of finally seeing semiconductors happening in India, an aspiration we have had for several years if not decades.  In the past decade we have already seen almost every electronics box having a label of ‘Make in India’ which makes us proud and happy.  In the next decade we are on track to see ‘Make in India’ inscribed on several components on the PCB.

Here as well, MediaTek has a role to partner.  It has one of the largest R&D centres established in India where its specialist engineers work on cutting edge futuristic technologies that add logic and intelligence to silicon making it a very high value component of the electronics value chain.  This capability of MediaTek will also play a collaborative role along with other ecosystem players in our Viksit Bharat journey. To sum up, the key takeaway of the 13^th edition of MediaTek Tech Diaries was that MediaTek has an arsenal full of innovations very pertinent to India’s journey of Viksit Bharat.  These technologies will not only meet our present needs to achieve massification of essential building blocks like 5G as well as Fibre technologies, but also give us a rich playground full of advanced and complex technology bouquet that will propel our Viksit Bharat journey.