Qualcomm is betting big on India’s 3G and 4G services to boost returns and expects LTE smartphones with the San Diego-based mobile chipset major’s mid-tier Snapdragon 400 chipset to be introduced this year in the South Asian nation.
The Snapdragon 400 tier includes both dual and quad core offerings and comes integrated with LTE for faster connectivity.
Speaking to ET, Qualcomm India country manager Sandeep Sibal said that 4G LTE networks will enhance user experience, and devices which support multiple technologies would play a vital role.
“India is set to witness a mobile data storm, with consumers demanding 24×7 mobile Internet, operators expanding 3G and 4G LTE networks, and OEMs focusing on launching 3G and 4G LTE multimode smartphones,” he said.
The company earned $24.87-billion revenue in 2013 fiscal and it employs close to 27,000 individuals. It however, did not reveal India break-up.
The company entered India in 1996, and now has offices in five locations and operates research facility across a wide spectrum of wireless technologies.
The company believes that Airtel’s 4G offering at 3G price-points in Bangalore would fuel uptake of LTE devices, and this would be replicated across India.
Sibal said that their India business is growing and they see the country as an important market. “Smartphone sales in India have been doubling year-on-year,” he added.
In 2015, the company expects to see the launch of multimode LTE smartphones in volume on Qualcomm’s chipsets that would facilitate large scale consumer adoption in India.
The company is also in talks with various device vendors and operators to bring in new devices to the Indian market. “We are working with almost every OEM (original equipment manufacturer),” added Sibal.
Qualcomm is also working with operators on the network and engineering side to support their 4G LTE networks’ launch.
The company recently tied up with Airtel and LG, and created a 4G LTE smartphone experience zone for consumers to get a first-hand feel of HD video streaming and internet browsing with 20Mbps speed on Airtel’s commercial network in Bangalore.
Recently, LG launched their LTE-enabled G2 smartphone on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 processor.
