India-US Partnership, Led by Saankhya Labs and Sinclair, Announces the Development of Low Cost Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) Devices for Consumer Trials in India

BENGALURU & DELHI, INDIA & BALTIMORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Saankhya Labs, a subsidiary of Tejas Networks, Free Stream Technologies, incubated at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, and Sinclair, Inc. today announced the companies are collaborating to design and launch a variety of value-for-money mobile phones with augmented Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) broadcast capability. These consumer devices will be powered by Saankhya’s Pruthvi-3 ATSC 3.0 chipsets – the next step in India’s semiconductor journey and Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliance.)

Saankhya Labs has done pioneering work in bringing to market broadcast radio heads for cellularization of single frequency networks and building the world’s first D2M smartphone (Mark ONE) reference design. For over two years, next generation D2M technology has undergone trials and field validation in Bengaluru, Delhi and the United States. Now the partnership is commencing consumer trials for multi-media delivery and datacasting use cases. This development leveraging the first ‘Designed in India’ chip comes on the heels of a strong semiconductor push by the Narendra Modi led government in India.

Consumer trials will be conducted on a variety of D2M devices comprising of smartphones, USB dongle accessories, STB/Gateways and a low cost featurephone. They will demonstrate interworking with mobile system-on-a-chip from suppliers with a collective global market share exceeding 70%.

Parag Naik, Founder and CEO of Saankhya Labs said, “As India’s foremost fabless chip company, Saankhya is delighted to see this path breaking D2M technology getting one step closer to launch. For rapid proliferation of the device ecosystem, we are actively working with a number of mobile device suppliers to develop solutions that integrate our award-winning Software Defined Radio (SDR) chipsets. As an end-to-end originator and supplier of D2M technology – chipsets, radios, software and network infrastructure, we are fully equipped to rapidly validate end-to-end performance and gear up for launch.”

Chris Ripley, President and CEO of Sinclair said, “I firmly believe that low-cost featurephones will be the biggest driver for domestic demand in India since 4G/5G, incentivizing over 300 million featurephone users to shift to broadcast-enabled phones at a low incremental cost. We expect to launch these devices for trials in the first half of 2025. This competitive market segment can be expected to produce affordable phones for the Indian and global markets.”

“ATSC 3.0’s time and frequency interleaving feature provides excellent mobile performance, which is why we played a foundational role in the creation and deployment of the standard for next generation broadcast,” he added.

Sumeet Nindrajog, Director of FreeStream said, “Leading mobile brands clearly see the compelling consumer value proposition in D2M service offerings and are gearing up to scale to the needs of the Indian marketplace when deployment takes off. D2M will ride on the tremendous momentum to expand the mobile technology supply chain in India. As India’s first Chips-to-Platform DeepTech startup, FreeStream is working on putting together a D2M ecosystem that will realize PM Modi’s vision of India’s Techade.”

About Saankhya Labs

Saankhya Labs, a subsidiary of Tejas Networks (BSE: 540595) (NSE: TEJASNET), is an innovative leading-edge technology company with a breadth of wireless communication system solutions. Saankhya offers a wide range of communication products for 5G NR, Broadcast and Satellite Communication applications. With over 100 international technology patents and unique 'chipset-to-systems' expertise, Saankhya's solutions include the award-winning SDR chipsets for communication, next gen Open RAN Solutions for 5G networks, multi-standard direct to mobile (D2M) broadcast and Satcom solutions. For more information, visit Saankhya Labs at www.saankhyalabs.com.

About Sinclair

Sinclair, Inc. (Nasdaq: SBGI) is a diversified media company and a leading provider of local broadcast television, including news and sports. Sinclair’s Hunt Valley Maryland-based ONE Media subsidiary has a vision to build and globally deploy innovative “Next Generation” platforms and technologies for wireless broadcast of enhanced video, data, and nationally important services. Sinclair and ONE Media regularly use their websites as key sources of company information which can be accessed at www.sbgi.net and www.onemediallc.com respectively.

About FreeStream

Incubated at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, Free Stream Technologies Pvt. Ltd. is India's first and only 'Chips to Platform' DeepTech start-up that is focused on developing, deploying, and managing nationwide network infrastructure for cutting-edge Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) broadcast technology and related platform services. We communicate our growth strategy at www.freestream.ai.

Category: General

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240918530483/en/

Saankhya Labs: Vivek Kimbahune: info@saankhyalabs.com

Sinclair/ONE Media Technologies: Jessica Bellucci jbellucci-c@sbgtv.com

Source: Sinclair, Inc.

FAQ

What is the purpose of the India-US partnership between Saankhya Labs and Sinclair (SBGI)?

The partnership aims to develop low-cost Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) devices for consumer trials in India, including smartphones, USB dongles, STB/Gateways, and feature phones, powered by Saankhya's Pruthvi-3 ATSC 3.0 chipsets.

When are the consumer trials for D2M devices expected to begin in India?

Consumer trials for the D2M devices are set to begin in the first half of 2025, targeting India's 300 million feature phone users.

How does this partnership support India's semiconductor initiatives?

The partnership leverages Saankhya's 'Designed in India' Pruthvi-3 ATSC 3.0 chipsets, supporting India's push for semiconductor development and self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat).

What is the potential market impact of the D2M devices in India?

The partnership aims to incentivize over 300 million feature phone users in India to shift to broadcast-enabled phones at a low incremental cost, potentially driving significant domestic demand.