India produces 20% of the data but only has 2% of the data centre.

Since more than 30 years ago, Intel has operated in India. It employs about 14,000 people, 90% of them are technical and work on various product lines, R&D projects, or engineering activities. According to two senior executives, Steve A. Long, GM of Intel Corp's Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) region, and Santhosh Viswanathan, MD & VP, Sales, Marketing & Communications Group, Intel India, there is a tonne of value in having a good, large R&D site that not only helps Intel scale but also helps solve local problems. They spoke with Sudhir Chowdhary in a joint interview. Excerpts:

How is Intel navigating the present geopolitical environment of volatility with regard to supply chain disruptions?

SL: Steve A. Long We see opportunity in a resilient, well-balanced supply chain. Due of its global presence, Intel may benefit from this. We construct in Asia, the US, Europe, and Israel, and then have dispersed global design hubs. That has been demonstrated by some of the Covid-caused outages, but at this point, the geopolitical diversification that customers desire really works to Intel's advantage because we are in a position to support those that desire it. We intend to start operating our facilities so that we can demonstrate to clients that we will not only create our own items but also make financial investments.

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Which market opportunities do you see in India?

SV Santhosh Viswanathan: In India, the epidemic brought about numerous significant changes. Take a look at the immediate KYC or unique identity verification that is made possible through networks. The amount of apps I use in India likely outnumbers the total number of apps I've ever used in any other nation. The data created at the network, device, or at the edge and the use of AI to make sense of this data will revolutionise many aspects of India, which presents a substantial potential.

Less than 2% of the world's data centres are still located in India. What type of chance does this present, and what role does Intel play in it?

SV: The fact that India produces 20% of the world's data yet only has 2% of the world's data centre capacity is crucial for us. As a result, the data is moving to another location. Digital infrastructure is as important to physical infrastructure when it comes to importance. Therefore, establishing data protection policies will assist the sector advance and ensure that we have the infrastructure where the data is generated. Second, data centre operators place a high focus on sustainability. We are experimenting with a variety of cooling solutions, such as liquid immersion cooling, to make sure we are preserving the ecosystem while these data centres expand.

How does India R&D for Intel lead the company's worldwide innovation charter?

SL: At our India location, we work on cutting-edge engineering projects like 5G networks, IPs, SoC designs, graphics, software, and platforms for the data centre, client, and Internet of Things markets that use cutting-edge technologies like AI, 5G, and autonomous systems. Thus, it contributes strategically to Intel's development.

SV: Having a good, sizable R&D facility that not only aids in scaling but also addresses regional issues is quite valuable. Customers occasionally look for differentiated solutions, and our engineers review them to determine how we might improve them. Power is the largest threat to them. We design cutting-edge cooling techniques, optimise workloads, and assist in reducing their power consumption expenses.

Source: Interview of Steve A. Long, at Financial Express