A semiconductor startup ecosystem has taken a long time to emerge in a country where MNCs have been getting their chip design work done for the past 35 years. But it’s finally catching headwinds. The roll-out of higher bandwidth 5G in India next year could be an inflection point as it will create opportunities for semiconductor startups. Some early successes have emerged to indicate the potential of Indian startups. Bengaluru-based Saankhya Labs, for example, founded in 2006 by Parag Naik, who returned home after working in Silicon Valley, survived its early years with angel funding as well as strategic investors who were buying its semiconductor and wireless communication products and services. Then it got backing from Intel Capital in 2011 and began expanding its global presence.
