CXO of the week: Anku Jain, Managing Director, MediaTek India

MediaTek is a semiconductor company from Taiwan and it is one of the largest smartphone chip makers in the world. MediaTek designs SOCs based on the ARM's architecture and these chips can be seen in devices and provides chips for wireless communications, high-definition television, handheld mobile devices like smartphones and tablet computers, navigation systems, consumer multimedia products and digital subscriber line services as well as optical disc drives.

In a recent chat with Anku Jain, Managing Director, MediaTek India, he talks about his startup journey and what MediaTek has been up to in the latest edition of CxO of the Week.

Introduction of MediaTek India

MediaTek is a global fabless semiconductor company that enables nearly 2 billion connected devices a year. We are a market leader in developing innovative systems-on-chip (SoC) for mobile device, home entertainment, connectivity and IoT products. We are a driving market force in several key technology areas, highly including power-efficient mobile technologies, automotive solutions and a broad range of advanced multimedia products such as smartphones, tablets, digital televisions, 5G, Voice Assistant Devices (VADs) and wearables. MediaTek empowers and inspires people to expand their horizons and achieve their goals through smart technology, more easily and efficiently than ever before.

What are MediaTek’s key focus areas in the Indian telecom domain? How has been the journey so far?

With 5G expected to roll-out over the next few months, our key focus is to enable brilliant technology powered by 5G, across demographics, with our MediaTek Dimensity series of 5G chipsets. We are also working on enabling the connected ecosystem in India with our range of smart devices. The journey so far has been spectacular, and MediaTek India has carved a niche as one of the leading fabless semiconductor companies in India and on a global basis. We are keen on continuing this track record with consistent hiring and newer collaborations while maintaining a robust engagement with our existing OEM associates and customers. We are also focused on further expanding our range of 4G chipsand networking portfolios going ahead.

What are the key trends dominating the Indian semiconductor ecosystem?

The Indian semiconductor ecosystem in India has a promising growth trajectory given the government’s vision of making India a $5 trillion economy with a focus on ‘Make in India’. With one of the largest young workforces globally, there is an enormous potential for the growth and development of semiconductor manufacturing facilities in the country. Key trends include a focus on reskilling and upskilling post the pandemic, as well as the possibility of turning India into a manufacturing and R&D hub for global semiconductor companies. Technology-wise, key trends dominating the segment include 5G, IoT, AI, ML, and WiFi6.

What, as per you, are the five important things that MediaTek should be looking at today?

As MediaTek continues its journey to the top of the Indian semiconductor ecosystem, I believe that the top five things we focus on should be:

• R&D Expansion – As a fabless semiconductor company, our forte lies in R&D and we must focus on strengthening our capabilities by expanding our team and collaborating with innovative OEMs.
• Diversification – The pandemic has taught us the need to diversify. We cannot rely on a single technology or solution if we wish to make a mark. MediaTek caters to a wide range of customer-centric requirements with its portfolio of smart devices, including smartphones, smart speakers, smart TVs and wearables, and we are focused on further enhancing our offerings.
• Technology democratization – MediaTek has always believed that technology is useless unless it reaches the last mile of customers. With our variety of chips aimed at premium, flagship, mainstream and mass market price points, technology democratization remains one of our core mottos.
• Listening to the customer – While we are a B2B company, MediaTek is always focused on customer satisfaction. Through various events and marketing strategies, we try to reach our customers and pay heed to their feedback. This should and will continue going ahead.
• Newer collaborations – We are keen on associating with newer OEMs and want to collaborate with device makers on creating more innovative solutions for our customers.

Are you working on any new, exciting projects now? How do you think that might help people?

We are constantly working on new associations and projects to cater to the strong demand for smart devices. Some of the latest collaboration in 2022 across leading OEMs and device makers in India include–Infinix Zero 5G (MediaTek Dimensity 900), Vivo V23 Pro 5G (MediaTek Dimensity 920), OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G (MediaTek Dimensity 900), Redmi Note 11 Pro (MediaTek Helio G96), realme 9 Pro+ (MediaTek Dimensity 920), Oppo Reno 7 Pro (Dimensity 1200 MAX), Micromax IN Note 2 (MediaTek Helio G95), Lava AGNI 5G (MediaTek Dimensity 810) and vivo X80 with the latest flagship MediaTek Dimensity 9000 among others.

Some more launches from collaborations with OEMs for Dimensity 9000 and 8000 series are expected in the first half of the year..

We are also focusing on the smart device ecosystem, networking and connectivity solutions to unlock additional value for customers.

What are your views on the evolving 5G landscape? What is MediaTek’s 5G road map for the Indian market?

5G connectivity will be the next big disruptor in terms of technology and the difference lies in the network capabilities. The 5G chipset, including our own MediaTek Dimensity series of chips, is created to power incredible experiences for customers and industries. Our 5G chips are different from the previous 4G SOCs as they enable the optimal use of connectivity, which is expected to be up to 100 times faster than 4G.

Accordingly, the 5G chips are capable of network slicing, extremely low latency, and highly optimized use cases. We believe that India is almost at the last frontier when it comes to 5G adoption. Most of the smartphones being launched today feature 5G-ready chips and it is now only a matter of time before India joins the league of 5G countries. MediaTek has already made its mark in the Indian 5G landscape, with our variety of Dimensity 5G chips powering a horde of innovative smartphones across various categories including the flagship. We are prepared to be at the forefront of the Indian 5G revolution.

How does a chip company target millennials?

Millennials are one of our biggest customer demographics and we target them through several initiatives. Because millennial customers are one of the most well-versed with technology, we have launched several campaigns to educate end-users about the major innovations across our product line. Our marketing tagline ‘Incredible In, Incredible Out’ is trending across the 5G smartphone segment and reiterates the innovations that shape the incredible experiences delivered by our Dimensity chips. Similarly, our latest marketing tagline ‘Rise to Incredible’ reconfirms our commitment to enrich the lives of end-users with incredible flagship smartphone experiences powered by our latest flagship chipset— MediaTek Dimensity 9000 . We also reach out to the media through MediaTek Technology Diaries, an interactive platform aimed at demystifying innovative technologies and showcasing the latest developments in the semiconductor ecosystem.

Another initiative targeting millennial is the latest 'Gaming Masters 2.0', launched in association with Jio e-Sports. It is aimed at engaging the smartphone gaming community in India. We also have online marketplaces across popular e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart, and these boost awareness about our latest innovations, as well as the latest products built by them.

Did the current pandemic affect your work? If yes, please share few insights that how did you tackle with those challenges?

One of the biggest changes affected by the pandemic was, obviously, the sudden and total shift to work from home. This prompted us to alter the way we approach work and collaborate on projects.

We managed to tackle these challenges through a never-say-die attitude and our willingness to look for solutions instead of focusing on the problems. We focused on sustainable and inclusive growth with achievable deadlines and open communication to streamline the workflow. Our team has stayed resilient and emerging successful even during challenging times.