AI Phones Will Enter Indian Market in Two Years, Says Qualcomm

US-based semiconductor firm on Thursday announced that in India, artificial intelligence-capable phones are expected to be available in the mid-tier mobile phone segment in the next 12-18 months, according to a report published by Business Standard. After this, these phones will also be available in the value phone segment in the coming two years.

Rahul Patel, chief general manager for connectivity, broadband and networks based in the San Francisco Bay Area shared that most premium android smartphones --- which usually use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips --- already have AI capabilities, and even mid-tier models are now equipped to support AI features.

Currently, there are a very few AI phones in India today due to lack of use case development, he described. However, Patel believes that this will change as consumer experiences with AI improve.

He added that their chipsets are already equipped to handle AI applications --- it’s now up to device makers to roll out these app, many of which are currently in development and expected to launch next year, the report said.

As more practical use cases emerge, the presence of AI phones in the market is likely to grow significantly, said Patel, adding that India’s potential fabrication base will provide an opportunity to Qualcomm.

Qualcomm on India's Mobile Banking

Last year, the rapid rise of digital payments in India shows that the country has adopted mobile banking with more ease than the United States, where people have historically relied more on laptops and personal computers for banking tasks, according to a top executive of smartphone chipset major Qualcomm.

"Qualcomm is dedicated to innovation and scale of Qualcomm's commitment to India is huge. India is a great market for GenAI and we're also excited about the great talent that the country has to offer," said the company's India President Savi Soin.

Qualcomm had announced that it is doubling down on its India investments and had also initiated talks with major chip manufacturers to locally produce chips under the government of India's incentives. The US semiconductor major's investments in India have grown in double digits, over the past five years.

India has also become Qualcomm's largest engineering base, surpassing it's operations in the United States, and the company has also announced its plan increase it's hiring in the country and expand solutions across sectors like 5G, IoT, AI etc.