MediaTek builds technology with humans in mind to enhance and enrich life. The technology firm wants to make the world a more inclusive place, where smart and connected is an equal opportunity.
They specialise in chipset technology for Smart TVs, Voice Assistant Devices (VAD), Android tablets, feature phones, Optical and Blu-ray DVD players. They also build chips that are less about connecting people to their devices and more about connecting people’s devices to what matters.
Gairika Mitra gets into an elaborate conversation with Anku Jain, Managing Director, MediaTek
What is the exclusiveness of your firm, that’s unique from other gigantic players in the market?
As a global fabless semiconductor company, MediaTek enables 1.5 billion connected devices a year. We are a market leader in developing innovative systems-on-chip (SoC) for mobile devices, home entertainment, connectivity and IoT products like Smart TVs, Voice Assistant Devices (VAD), Android tablets, feature phones and optical and Blu-ray DVD players. MediaTek is the only fabless semiconductor company that can deliver solutions across the fields of IT, consumer electronics and communications.
At MediaTek, our technology is built with humans in mind to enhance and enrich life. We believe technology has to be great and great technology should be accessible to everyone. MediaTek wants to make the world a more inclusive place. To promote and live up to our ideal of technology democratization, MediaTek strives constantly to meet consumers’ demands. We take consumer feedback into account and take rigorous steps to make the chip better. Our USP lies in the fact that we build chips that are less about connecting people to their devices and more about connecting users’ devices to what matters – connecting to the things that shape lives, make us smarter, healthier and improve everyday life.
MediaTek’s exclusivity lies in the fact that we give our partners and their customers feature-rich, premium technology. We continue to pioneer core technologies that fulfill consumers’ needs to be better connected.
How do you think is the tech sector going to upsurge in the near future?
It is likely that all sectors, including technology, will face some difficulty in overcoming the impact of the pandemic. In the near future, we expect technology to step up and support innovation, ensuring that our response times to future natural or man-made threats are reduced. While the deployment of technologies like 5G might get delayed slightly in India, we expect the tech sector to emerge stronger and sturdier. There will be a remarkable advance in innovative solutions like Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Telemedicine, 5G connectivity and Cloud storage. Human capabilities will be accentuated through superfast speeds, enhanced bandwidth, data collation and analysis, innovative infrastructure and superlative security. This will also lead to an increase in demand for a qualified workforce and reskilling to deliver on these technologies.
What is the latest mode of technology that you are catering to?
At MediaTek, we harness a variety of innovative technologies to bring forth solutions that empower and democratise the market. At present, we are focusing on technologies like 5G, artificial intelligence (AI), gaming enhancements, narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) and 8K resolution, among others. MediaTek powers an innovative and vibrant set of solutions across IT, consumer electronics and communications, including smartphones, smart TVs, voice assistant devices (VADs) like the Amazon Echo Dot, Paytm SoundBox, smart speakers and connectivity solutions like Wi-Fi, routers and set-top boxes.
How important do you think is it for people to rely on technology? Are there any major follies per se?
Over the years, technology has been a facilitator across domains like education, workspaces, governance, healthcare, safety, etc. On a global scale, technological innovations are changing the way people live and we have been striving consistently to meet this demand, catering to requirements in terms of speed, quality, safety, and security. Especially given the current situation technologies like AI, IoT, Big data have become a great enabler of digital infrastructure and will lead the way to help overcome crises and develop better mainstream solutions for the future.
People now rely on technology to track their health and fitness requirements, provide entertainment, regulate their daily work and help them be more efficient. However, it is necessary to be sustainable and mindful of security and privacy issues when it comes to technology, as with every other resource we access.
What are your immediate and long-term milestones like?
At MediaTek, our focus is currently on enhancing gaming capabilities, improving the landscape for 5G deployment and enabling India’s journey towards harnessing the potential of innovative solutions like Artificial Intelligence and rich IoT, be it through smart and connected homes or cities. We are looking forward to creating disruptive technology that will further enhance gaming, making the experience more seamless and uninterrupted for the end users. Further, we aim to make smart 5G technology and rich IoT accessible to everyone, in sectors ranging from mobile to home and auto, keeping with our ethos of democratisation and building technology with humans in mind.
Lastly, any word of advice for the wannapreneurs?
Having been a founding member of Pixtel Communications, I am passionate about supporting budding entrepreneurs and contributing my time and resources as an angel investor and mentor. I believe entrepreneurship is an important part of a country’s economic development and should be ardently supported.
Wannapreneurs should be hard working, persistent and passionate. They should focus on good execution and strengthen their market timing. As someone wise once said, a good start-up is 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration. Also, it is necessary to remain up-to-date, especially in an industry as fluid and dynamic as technology. With the rapid changes we see nowadays, it is impossible to rest on past laurels. Accomplishments must come consistently as an incremental improvement over time can add up to significant competitive advantage. I believe that continuous learning and consistent perseverance are fundamental to big wins and these are the mantras I have followed in my journey.