The company will also explore joint systems development with companies in the country, as NXP already has several reference chip designs for applications such as cars, car radios, microcontrollers and microprocessors, Reger told Business Standard in an interview here in the city.
“If I can show this to my potential customers, they can take these references and build products on top of them. That reduces the entry barrier for new startups,” he said.
The growing proliferation of physical AI devices also benefits NXP, which has long-established expertise in the automotive, cryptography and banking sectors, where failure is not an option, Reger said, adding that the company is now integrating cryptography features into the automotive sector’s chips.
Physical AI systems, he said, must always be trusted to the extent that they will never make decisions on their own without a human in the loop. For example, if there is a smart refrigerator, it should not be able to buy excessive amounts of food or beverages without explicit approval from the device owner, Reger said.
In the Indian market, innovation in decentralised energy management, smart appliances, e-governance, smart payment systems and banking will be the next frontier for advanced chips designed by companies such as NXP, he said.
All these areas give NXP the opportunity to offer solutions that remove barriers for end customers, Reger said, adding that since India is a relatively new market for these products, it will also have the luxury of choosing the latest and most advanced chips and products.
Reger, however, does not agree that the Indian market is so price-sensitive that it would give up quality products based on one factor.
“If you have a device that avoids accidents in your car, and comes for $20, I am pretty sure, with the right explanation of what the technology can do, there is an enormous market in India,” Reger said.
