Synaptics to Double India Workforce, Boosting R&D Expansion.

US-based semiconductor company Synaptics has unveiled plans to significantly expand its R&D operations in India, President and CEO Michael Hurlston announced. Over the next three years, the company aims to double its workforce in the country, growing from 400 employees to over 800.
“India is our most important development site today. We intend to double our headcount here over the next three years, including hardware engineers, software engineers, RF engineers—the whole gamut,” Hurlston stated. With annual revenue of approximately $1 billion, Synaptics sees India as a crucial growth market and currently holds its largest global workforce in the country. While 18% of its employees are based in the US, the remaining 82% are overseas, with India leading.
The company is also investing in partnerships to enhance its presence in India. Synaptics recently collaborated with embedUR Systems, a software firm with a significant presence in Chennai, to develop solutions for the Smart Metering market. This partnership aims to deliver cost-effective AI-powered edge solutions tailored for India’s smart device sector.
“India is a huge consumer of semiconductor devices, but in many markets we operate, decisions on components are often made elsewhere,” Hurlston explained. “However, with areas like smart meters, where design and manufacturing occur in India, we see significant opportunities. Smart metering is our primary focus in this region, though other markets like glucose monitors with a ‘Made in India for India’ footprint are also under consideration.”
Synaptics is also evaluating opportunities in semiconductor packaging within India. The company is exploring a partnership with Advanced System in Package Technologies (ASIP), which is preparing to establish a packaging facility in Hyderabad. “Their first phase involves setting up a factory in Korea to refine their processes before bringing it to India. We’re keen on being an early customer once their Hyderabad facility is operational, which could happen in about a year,” Hurlston noted.
Additionally, Synaptics plans to announce strategic partnerships within the next four to five months, focusing on embedding its products into the market with solutions developed in collaboration with embedUR Systems.
As a fabless semiconductor company, Synaptics outsources all its manufacturing, relying heavily on Taiwan for wafer production and packaging, with additional support from Korea and China.
“Our differentiator lies in our semiconductor intellectual property, not in manufacturing,” Hurlston emphasized. “We believe partners like TSMC and UMC excel in manufacturing, so we focus our investments on designing and developing intellectual property.”
HBL