Qualcomm hosted its inaugural Snapdragon Auto Day in New Delhi on Tuesday, aimed at not just supplying chips to the automotive industry but building the very foundation for the next generation of vehicles, tailored for India.
SurveyFrom premium in-cabin experiences, localised AI, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), connected vehicle platforms, the company outlined a deeply integrated, scalable vision for mobility, rooted in decades of experience and a sharp focus on localisation.
“India is the place to be, and hopefully you can see that in the energy, the partnerships, and really the innovation that’s happening across the board,” said Savi Soin, President of Qualcomm India, during his keynote address.
Localised Engineering, Global Impact
Qualcomm emphasised that India is central to its automotive strategy, not only as a market but also as a key innovation hub. “We have more engineers in India than anywhere else in the world,” Soin noted. “As a result, we are innovating right here in India for our Indian OEMs and for the global OEMs.”
The company currently works with major domestic automakers, including Tata Motors, Mahindra, and Maruti Suzuki, powering everything from premium EVs to mid and entry-level vehicles with Snapdragon platforms. These solutions support a range of features such as multi-screen infotainment, face recognition, zonal audio, driver monitoring systems, and contextual AI for highly localised user experiences.
Transition to Premium Experiences
A key theme at the event was India’s shift from cost-driven to experience-driven automotive expectations. “India is not low-end anymore,” said Soin. “It’s all about premium experiences, and how Qualcomm can innovate to bring those across the board.”
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Ride and Ride Elite platforms are central to this effort, offering scalable compute solutions for infotainment and ADAS. The platforms support use cases from basic driver alerts to Level 2-plus assisted driving, with built-in safety architectures that comply with global regulations such as NCAP 5-star.
Global Programmes, Local Readiness
Globally, BMW’s upcoming Neue Klasse vehicles, set to debut in 2026, will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Ride SoC, which combines the CPUs, GPUs and NPUs with capabilities like in-cabin monitoring, surround view and parking assistance.
Qualcomm is preparing similar capabilities tailored for local driving conditions in India. Its ADAS stack, Qualcomm says, is supported by a petabyte-scale data and simulation factory, which uses AI and synthetic data to train models across millions of scenarios, including India’s unique and complex road environments.
Expanding Beyond Four-Wheelers
Qualcomm also outlined its approach to two-wheeler safety and connectivity. Some of the key features highlighted during the presentation included 4G/5G and Bluetooth connectivity, GPS navigation, theft alerts, SOS assistance, and nearby charging station notifications, aimed at enhancing rider safety and utility.
Soin closed the session by inviting partners to deepen collaboration, “What we are trying to do is bring innovation for India and in India,” he said. “And we’re just getting started.”
Follow Us
Siddharth Chauhan
Siddharth reports on gadgets, technology and you will occasionally find him testing the latest smartphones at Digit. However, his love affair with tech and futurism extends way beyond, at the intersection of technology and culture. View Full Profile
