Qualcomm Shifts Automotive Chip Production To India

US semiconductor major Qualcomm has announced a strategic shift in its automotive module production, moving operations to India as part of an ambitious plan to boost domestic manufacturing capabilities and strengthen partnerships with key industry players.

Nakul Duggal, group general manager for automotive, industrial and embedded IoT at Qualcomm Technologies, was quoted as saying by Times Of India that the company's comprehensive approach to establishing Indian production facilities. The initiative involves close collaboration with Tier 1 automotive suppliers to facilitate their own manufacturing relocation to India.

"We build a lot of modules. Those modules are typically built in Taiwan, or China, or Korea, but we are now actively working in India to localise this. We, of course, partner with our Tier 1 ecosystem, such that as they move their manufacturing to India, we have been supporting them," Duggal was quoted as saying.

Indian Workforce Drives Global Operations

The chipmaker's commitment to India extends beyond manufacturing, with approximately 22,000 employees based in the country -- representing roughly 60 per cent of Qualcomm's entire global workforce. This substantial presence includes a specialised local team focused exclusively on collaborating with Indian automotive manufacturers.

Partnerships With Leading Indian Automakers

Qualcomm has established strategic relationships with prominent Indian vehicle manufacturers, positioning itself at the forefront of the country's automotive transformation. The company currently partners with industry leaders including Tata Motors, Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki, and Hyundai, focusing particularly on electric vehicle technologies.

Snapdragon Elite Platform

The company's Snapdragon Elite platform delivers cutting-edge capabilities across multiple automotive applications, including telematics systems, infotainment solutions, and driver assistance technologies. The platform specifically supports Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), crucial for next-generation vehicle safety.

Launch Timeline For New Chip Systems

Duggal projected that approximately twelve vehicles will incorporate Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon Cockpit Elite and Snapdragon Ride Elite systems-on-chip by 2026. These advanced semiconductor solutions were unveiled in October 2024 and began reaching customers in early 2025.

India-Specific Solutions

The executive highlighted the importance of developing products tailored specifically for Indian market conditions rather than adapting global solutions for local use.

"There is a huge need for building products that cater to the needs of the Indian region. Rather than bringing in a product that is built for a global customer, build a product for a local customer. That necessitates for an OEM the need to have engineering capability, creative capability, to actually think about the needs of the local region, and we are starting to see that happen," Duggal said, adding that such a strategy has already given China a competitive edge.

Automotive semiconductors currently generate approximately $3.6-3.8 billion annually for Qualcomm, representing about 10 per cent of the company's total global revenue. The chipmaker has set an aggressive target to double this figure, reaching $8 billion in automotive chip revenue by 2029.

This manufacturing shift is a significant vote of confidence in India's emerging position as a global semiconductor hub. The move is in line with broader industry trends toward supply chain diversification and the Indian government's initiatives to boost domestic chip production capabilities.