India, despite being home to 20% of the world’s chip designers, has not been a major player in the global semiconductor market. However, a recent shift has been observed as the Indian government is making investments to establish the country in the semiconductor industry. With companies around the world adopting a “China-plus-one” strategy to diversify their supply chains, there is an opportunity for India to capitalize on this trend.
One company that is aiming to leverage this shift is BigEndian Semiconductors, a fabless design startup based in Bengaluru. Founded by CEO Sunil Kumar, a seasoned executive with experience at ARM Broadcom, and Intel, along with a team of professionals from leading chipmakers like Broadcom and Cypress Semiconductors, BigEndian is poised to make an impact in the semiconductor industry. The team’s decision to establish the startup was fueled by the growing domestic demand for surveillance chips, incentives from the Indian government, and the need for alternatives to Chinese suppliers.
India has allocated a budget of $9 billion to boost the local development of semiconductors and display manufacturing companies. The government has approved four semiconductor units in the country, aimed at producing chips for various applications such as automotive, consumer electronics, EVs, industrial, and telecom. These units are expected to attract investments totaling around $17.9 billion and have the capacity to produce approximately 70 million chips per day.
BigEndian, in its initial phase, plans to focus on surveillance chips in collaboration with Taiwanese fab company UMC. The startup’s reference chip, based on a 28nm node process, is expected to be released in the first quarter of 2025. Additionally, BigEndian aims to expand its presence in the IoT market, particularly focusing on 16- and 32-bit microcontrollers. What sets BigEndian apart from traditional fabless semiconductor companies is its platform-as-a-service model, designed to provide software solutions that enable customization of surveillance cameras, thereby helping governments avoid Chinese middleware access.
While BigEndian has raised $3 million in an all-equity seed round led by Vertex Ventures SEA and India, the funding is insufficient for fulfilling mass orders. CEO Sunil Kumar acknowledges the challenges of securing funding in India, especially in the semiconductor industry, but remains optimistic about the government incentives and support. Strategic investors, including Amitabh Nagpal from Amazon Web Services, have also shown interest in BigEndian, which could pave the way for larger investments in future rounds.
BigEndian has ambitious plans to not limit itself to the Indian market but to target a global audience with its surveillance chips for middle to lower-end cameras. The company aims to establish itself as a reliable player in the semiconductor industry, starting from the ground up and gradually climbing the ladder of success. The objective is to prove that a silicon company from India can compete on a global scale and establish a strong foothold in the market.
BigEndian Semiconductors represents a promising player in India’s semiconductor market with a solid business strategy, experienced leadership, and government support. As the company navigates the challenges of funding and market competition, it is poised to make a significant impact in the semiconductor industry and carve out a niche for itself in the ever-evolving tech landscape.