Smart phones are emerging as the champions of on-the-move computing and communication in the present times of greater mobility. The constant demand from consumers for better features, scope of operation and adaptability, which is increasing on everyday basis, is enhancing the growing demand for Smartphones with multiple features in one package.

Moreover, the rise in spending power of the consumers and knowledge of the new technologies is also encouraging this demand. Texas Instruments (TI) has been augmenting its focus on the Indian semiconductor market in a big way. The company is working closely with its customers in India in sectors like Industrial Electronics, Medical Electronics, Consumer, Telecom and Automotive.

Texas Instruments, India has also opened several offices in multiple locations within the country to reach out to its customers with sales and applications support. Convergence India spoke with Praveen K. Ganapathy, Director, Business Development, Texas Instruments on the future of Smartphones in India, the company’s growth in the Semiconductor market, Wireless Business Unit of TI, and its expansion plans in the coming years.

CP: Briefly outline the upsurge in demand of Smartphones in India.

PK: The increase in the number of web users has contributed to an upsurge in the demand of smartphones in India. According to a report by Frost and Sullivan, about 477 million smartphones will be sold in Asia by the year 2015, accounting for 54% of the total Asian mobile phone market. This marks a sharp increase from the market share of 9% in 2009. India is predicted to be one of the key growth regions for smartphones sales. A shift has been experienced in terms of what the consumer expects from a communication device, from merely functioning as a voice instrument to a device that enables 360° communication.

Other practices like business transactions over mobile, healthcare monitoring & rendering of telemedicine practices/capabilities have also led to greater adoption of smartphones in urban India. Affordable smartphones imbibed with hi-tech applications, attractive tariff plans and increasing number of mobile web subscribers will be the major growth drivers of smartphones in India. Also, with 3G and broadband access coming in, the field is favorable for greater adoption of smartphones in India.

CP: How is the Internet mobility supporting smartphones? State its rising importance amongst the urban working population.

PK: Smartphones have ushered in limitless capabilities in terms of internet accessibility. The emergence of smartphones as a new tool for conducting businesses and personal networking has been a major driver for increasing demand for smartphones. Smartphones have been instrumental in bringing business transactions into the palm of people’s hands – with anytime, anywhere accessibility. According to Gartner, globally smartphones will outsell all personal computers – desktops and notebooks by 2010. It touched 54.3 million units in the first quarter of 2010. This implies that more consumers will now be reachable by mobile web than by traditional internet.

One of major benefits that smartphones offer working professionals is that of convenience and portability. It allows them to conduct business activities anywhere and at anytime. Smartphones are more than just cell phones; they not only provide instant access to the web but also allow the user to sync with his/ her desktop or laptop and thereby allow the user to view and work on documents, view/ reply to emails directly.

CP: How is Smartphones boosting the Semiconductor market in India?

PK: The Indian semiconductor market is set for tremendous growth. According to ISA – Frost & Sullivan report, semiconductor sales is expected to touch the mark of US$ 8 billion by the end of 2011. One of the key drivers for this growth is the surge in demand for smartphones. According to a recent report by Gartner, globally smartphones and PCs will account for 40% of the semiconductor market’s growth in 2010.

Texas Instruments’ (TI) OMAP platform offers key differentiating advantages in the 3G/4G space through:

• Support for all major high-level Operating Systems including Android
• Enabling open market, open standards-based solutions versus proprietary and closed alternatives
• Providing rich multimedia capabilities that enable a rich consumer electronics user experience in a mobile device
• Market-leading multimedia acceleration – imaging, audio/video, 3D graphics
• Hardware-based M-Shield™ security for key DRM, enterprise, & e- commerce requirements
• Support for new and unique user interface/display options such as gesture recognition and DLP™ Pico Projection

TI’s solutions help manufacturers deliver unparalleled mobile user experiences in Smartphones.

CP: Tell us about the Wireless Business Unit of Texas Instruments and its product offerings in wireless space.

PK: Texas Instruments (TI) is a leading manufacturer of wireless semiconductors, delivering the foundation of today's wireless technology and solutions, and driving innovations to deliver next-generation mobility. From traditional voice-centric mobile phones to the most advanced, multimedia-rich 3G devices, TI delivers a broad range of proven, complete semiconductor and software solutions to meet the requirements of handset manufacturers, mobile operators and application software developers.

Mobile technologies from Texas Instruments are delivering enhanced web browsing capabilities today – making it possible for consumers to view content in full-screen mode and enjoy content in any format on the Smartphone and Mobile Internet Device (MID) markets with a complete hardware and software platform.

For base station original equipment manufacturers looking for a complete signal chain offering, TI provides analog as well as the industry's highest performance DSPs and companion chip-rate solutions for wireless infrastructure. Texas Instruments is a market leader in digital signal processors (DSPs). One of the main areas where the DSP chip finds utility is the cellular handset. Many of the wireless phones sold worldwide contain TI's DSPs.

TI's Wireless Application Solutions encompass a broad range of wireless application technologies, including 802.11 Wireless LAN (WLAN), GPS, Bluetooth®, Signal Chain Solutions and High Performance MultiCore DSPs and SoCs for Macro and Small Cell Base Stations, OMAP™ application processors for Smart Phones, eBooks, Tablets and MIDs, Low Power RF , and DRP™ Technology.

Given that today's Smartphone integrates features like personal organizers and email management tools with basic multimedia and handset capabilities, the typical "ON" time is more crucial to the end users than that of an entry level mobile phone. The feature set drives the need for high processing power, larger (brighter) displays, touch screen controls and speaker phone capability.

To meet the growing demand for advanced multimedia features in the growing mid-range wireless market, TI offers the OMAP™ solutions platform. TI provides silicon and software products supporting Real-Time and High Level Operating Systems, and a wide range of Open Source communities. TI's wireless systems expertise spans handsets across multiple communications standards as well as wireless connectivity solutions including WiLink™ mobile LAN solutions, NaviLink™ GPS and BluLink™ Bluetooth™ solutions. TI solutions enhance the user experience with innovative 3D-graphics, high-quality video applications and advanced user interfaces.

CP: What is the road ahead for Texas Instruments in India?

PK: Texas Instruments will continue to focus on the India market and enable customers offer innovative and differentiated solutions in the converged mobility space through TI’s unique portfolio of analog, digital and power management products leveraging the local ecosystem.