Praveen Ganapathy, director (Processor & Connectivity Applications), Texas Instruments (India), speaks to Amit Panday on the company’s engagement with the auto sector in India, growth and potential.
21 Nov 2014 | 3178 Views | By Amit Panday
In terms of business size, how big is automotive for Texas Instruments (TI) in India and globally?
The automotive market is an important area of growth for TI globally and in India. We are excited about the opportunities for our analog, embedded processors and connectivity solutions. In 2013, 13 percent ...
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In terms of business size, how big is automotive for Texas Instruments (TI) in India and globally?
The automotive market is an important area of growth for TI globally and in India. We are excited about the opportunities for our analog, embedded processors and connectivity solutions. In 2013, 13 percent of TI’s global revenue was from the automotive market. This includes Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS); passive safety; infotainment; hybrid/electric and powertrain systems; and body electronics and lighting.
What has been the growth rate for TI in the context of auto in India? What are the growth rates you anticipate going forward?
We have had consistent growth for TI in automotive, as in 2010 we had 8 percent of our revenue from this segment and in 2013 it was 13 percent of our revenue. Given that the average semiconductor content in the car increases, we will continue to have opportunities in this market.
What are the areas of strength that TI brings to the Indian automotive space? What are the current areas it is working on to bolster its presence in India?
Texas Instruments (TI) is a global semiconductor design and manufacturing company that develops analog ICs and embedded processors. Our broad portfolio of analog ICs and embedded processors and connectivity solutions will help customers in their designs for specific demands of the automotive market in India.
TI strength lies in our portfolio, innovation and commitment towards customers. Our existing portfolio for the automotive segment is versatile and this year we expect to add as many as 190 new products in 2014. Also, customers can utilize the TI Designs Library, which is a library of ready reference designs, with over 60 TI Designs with tools and software specific to the automotive market. TI Designs include schematics, test data and design files.
Furthermore, innovation-driven investments like Kilby Labs, the Technology & Manufacturing Group (TMG) ensure that TI automotive customers are getting the best products on time. Finally, TI has continued commitment to the automotive market since 1980. TI is helping customers address the demands of the market. This may include automotive grade quality, reliability and safety requirements.
What, in your view, are the opportunity areas within the automotive domain in India?There are many areas of opportunity in India; we have noticed a growing need for advanced infotainment systems, fuel efficient and greener vehicles, driver assistance technologies, safety systems and wireless technologies.
How has the role of electronics and electronic content within vehicles in India evolved over last decade?
The cars that we see on the road today are technologically advanced and have come a long way from the previous generation. Any car today needs to be fuel efficient, utilise low power and weigh lesser. Enabling all these sophisticated technologies in an automobiles are electronics components. Every technology function in an automobile requires analog and embedded processing to power the system; therefore, there is an increasing importance on innovation for these electronic components.
Do you see the electronic content in vehicles in India growing? If yes, what are the driving factors?
The average semiconductor content in a car has grown from $62 in 1990 to about $288 in 2014. The electronic content in vehicles will continue to grow as there is a continuous need for embedded processing to make vehicles safe, green and more fun.
What are the most important trends we see in the automotive world? And how do you see these transforming into opportunities for a company such as TI in India?
The predominant trend as mentioned earlier is move towards safer, greener and a more fun, driving experience. All these trends require innovative technology solutions like processors, analog components and connectivity solutions that are being offered by TI.
TI solutions are immediately addressing three aspects:
Safer – From crash survival and facilitate crash avoidance
Greener – Improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions
More fun – reduce driver distraction and enable always-on connectivity
Specifically in the automotive lighting vertical, there is a stiff competition in India. Secondly, most OEMs have preferences for suppliers. Where does TI fit in this scenario in India?
TI works globally with the leading suppliers to OEMs in the automotive market, by offering innovative and reliable analog and embedded processing solutions which are differentiated and valued by customers worldwide.
How big is your automotive lighting business in India and what are the new lighting technologies you are working on currently?
For the automotive lighting market, TI delivers analog components like LED drivers. More recently, TI has unveiled solutions like the automotive front LED Lighting System (Multistage with AFS) and Automotive Rear LED Lighting Systems.
As per some new legislations, CVs made in India next fiscal onwards will have ABS as a mandatory fitment. Is this good news for TI? And how do you plan to pursue this opportunity?
Legislations that ensure driver safety and green vehicles benefit the driver and well as the environment and business ecosystem, therefore these are developments in the right direction. TI already has an Anti-Lock Braking System solution in place as well (http://www.ti.com/solution/antilock_braking_system).
Do you see safety features such as ABS, electronic stability control, electronic power steering, airbags, driver assist systems, multiple sensor systems and others making inroads into the vehicles in India? What is your strategy to tap this space?
Several of these technologies are already part of high-end vehicles, for example vehicles from Indian OEMs like Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra. This falls right in line with our strategy of developing differentiated analog and embedded processing solutions that address the market need of safer vehicles.
What is your outlook about electric vehicles in India? How soon do you see this segment picking up? Do you have customers currently in this space in India and what solutions do you supply to these OEMs?
The electric vehicles market is a potential market and we expect this segment picking up in India with assistance from the government on regulations and incentives. We have been working with global and local OEMs in this space.
TI offers leading-edge solutions for all systems, from a basic start/stop function to a fully integrated plug-in electric vehicle. The solutions help in addressing energy efficiency, power and battery management, wired and wireless connectivity performance and precision.
The complete portfolio includes amplifiers, data converters, interfaces, power management, isolation, logic, DSPs, MCUs and wireless connectivity. Also, catalog, application-specific, enhanced and custom IC options are available. Finally, TI is an experienced automotive and transportation sector supplier with a full range of AEC Q-100-certified analog and embedded processing technologies and products.
What are the immediate priorities for TI in India for near-future?
We will continue to work closely with OEMs and the suppliers of these OEMs to offer differentiated and reliable analog and embedded processing solutions that enable differentiated features in the vehicles of tomorrow.